


Rise of the Order

by El_Revan



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 89,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22186015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/El_Revan/pseuds/El_Revan
Summary: Two years after the Galactic Empire fell in the battle of Jakku, join Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren. Together, they'll venture off across the galaxy, and into the great unknown regions. Searching for the long lost padawan of Caleb Dume, the great imperial mastermind known as Thrawn, and the map for the first jedi temple. But with a new threat known as the Knights of Ren growing in power, can Ahsoka Tano help Luke Skywalker rebuild the jedi order? Or will it die off before it could even sprout? Part I of the New Jedi Academy AU series.
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger/Sabine Wren, Luke Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Mara Jade & Luke Skywalker & Original Character(s), Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker
Comments: 13
Kudos: 68





	1. Prologue

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

**STAR WARS**

** RISE OF THE ORDER **

**Peace and Prosperity!** **Two** **years after the Imperial Remnants** **defeat on the desert planet of Jakku, the Rebel Alliance has** **reformed itself into the New Republic as it** **reigns across the newly freed galaxy**.

**Princess Leia and Han Solo having recently been married** **are expecting** **their first born** , **Ben Solo**. **Meanwhile Luke Skywalker, the last living Jedi Knight has become the first in the** **long-awaited** **next generation of Jedi Knights** **to protect the galaxy from any new threats.**

**But thousands of light-years away, the ex-padawan** **of the late Anakin Skywalker,** **Ahsoka Tano, and the ex-rebel commander** **Sabine Wren travel deep in the unknown regions, hoping to find a trail to the long lost padawan Ezra Bridger...**


	2. Reunion and Farewell

Chapter 1

**Unknown Regions-**

Ahsoka Tano stood on a large rock as she observed her surroundings with a pair of electrobinoculars. Her long tan-white robes flowed with the hostile winds that danced along the surface of the jungle planet she had landed on. "Anything?", she yelled over the howling winds to her companion. "Nothing", her companion, Sabine Wren, yelled back. Today would mark the seventh year in which the padawan Ezra Bridger had vanished during the liberation of Lothal. Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren had made a promise to the young padawan that they would find him and bring him home. The two thought that this expedition would have been easier since the Empire had surrendered after the fateful battle on the backwater world of Jakku. But this simply made it more difficult, each lead would be connected with previously existing ties to the fractured Empire. "Come on, let's go", Ahsoka stated in defeat.

"We can't give up Ahsoka, we have to keep looking", Sabine argued as she removed her helmet. "We have no choice Sabine, we're low on supplies. We won't survive another week out here. We need to go back to the core worlds", Ahsoka reasoned as she walked towards her T-6 Jedi Shuttle, the Jedi Finder, Sabine followed suit silently agreeing with the older Togruta. "Don't worry Sabine, we'll continue our search after we restock", Ahsoka reassured her Mandalorian friend. Sabine gave her a weak smile as the Jedi Finder roared its engines before taking off into hyperspace.

* * *

_**6 Months Later...** _

**Coruscant- Medical Center**

Luke Skywalker ran through the corridor of the Medical Center. "Excuse me, coming through!", he yelled out in desperation as he dodged several medical droids and workers that roamed the area. He jumped over several patients as they cursed at him for disrupting their dinners. Luke barged into a small hospital room panting as if he never had the chance to breathe air before. "You're just in time kid", Han Solo stated quietly as he held his wife's hand. Leia sat on the bed, breathing in a rhythmical manner. "Hey", Luke spoke softly towards his sister. Leia looked at him in relief as sweat dripped from her face. "It takes you an early birth to get you out of hiding?", Leia asked sarcastically as she panted once again. "I wasn't hiding, I was on a jedi mission", Luke replied as he sat next to his twin sister. "Did your water break?", Luke asked worriedly noticing a stain on her bed sheets. Leia simply nodded as she let out a painful scream. The medical droids ran over to assist them Leia as she started to give birth.

" _Breathe. Push with all your might_ ", the leading Medical droid said calmly. Leia pushed with all her might, tears started to develop as she felt her insides open. Luke and Han tried to not cry out in pain as Leia squeezed their hands as she continued to push. The Medical droid soothed her as it inserted its gel insulated hands into her. Leia let out as gasp as a loud cry erupted from the sudden silence. " _It's a boy_ ", the droid stated as it handed the newborn baby to Leia. The small frail child with pink skin immediately calmed down as it's naked body made contact with his mother. "Can you believe it Han? Our child", Leia said tiredly. Han smiled as he kissed his wife fixing her hair in the process. Luke stared in amazement as he saw his newborn nephew cuddled up with his sister. What surprised him more was the immense power the newborn had. The child felt like a bright star through the force. "What are you going to name him?", Luke asked his sister. "Han Solo Jr", Han blurted out proudly, "I mean look at him, he has my nose. It's perfect". Leia chuckled as she wrapped the child with it's blanket. She looked at Luke before speaking. "I've been thinking, why not name him after your master", she said sincerely. "Ben?", Luke asked astounded. Leia simply nodded as she moved the child to her other arm. "If it wasn't for him, none of us would be here", Leia explained. "Ben Solo. I like it", Luke agreed. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before joining Han to leave the newly appointed mother and child to rest.

* * *

"You know, there going to be asking for you", Han warned his brother-in-law as they reached an outdoor balcony. "Yeah", Luke agreed dryly, "I'll go. I don't want to cause any of you trouble". Han placed his hand on Luke's shoulder, "Relax, if you do what they ask everything will go well", he said. Luke chuckled a little, "You'll be surprised", he simply stated. Luke extended his hand towards Han, "Congrats on being a father Han".

"Same on being an uncle", Han replied as he shook Luke's hand, "I'm not sure how things will work out. My father was never there for me, and well your father-", Han cut himself off before he spoke ill of Vader. "It's alright Han", Luke reassured his friend. "We'll be there for you. And if you want me to train Ben, I'll be there. Even Threepio will be there for you".

"That's what I'm worried about", Han joked as he left Luke to rejoin his wife and son. Luke turned around to see the sunset of Coruscant. The mixture of purple and orange glowed softly as the night started to settle. The environment started to quiet down as fewer and fewer ships flew in traffic. "Its been a while", Luke immediately said turning back around. An apparition stood in front of him, it was his old Jedi Master, Obi-wan Kenobi. " _I believe a congratulations should be in order?_ ", Obi-wan asked as he stood next to Luke. "After all this time, you finally show up", Luke said sarcastically. " _Yes, well it will be even longer until we see each other again Luke_ ", Obi-wan simply replied, " _It is time I say goodbye"._

"Goodbye? You can't leave us, we need you. I need you.", Luke begged his old master. Obi-wan gave Luke a sympathetic look and smiled, " _You don't need me anymore Luke. You have completed all your training, you're ready to be a Jedi Master_ ".

"A Jedi Master? I can't even find another Jedi to train. Leia doesn't want to be trained, and I have to wait a few years to actually train my nephew", Luke argued. " _What about the others?_ ", Obi-wan asked amusingly. "I- I'm not ready to start their training", Luke admitted truthfully, "I'm not ready for the responsibility of being a Master, especially a Grand Master". Obi-wan placed his hand on Luke's shoulder. " _Luke, you are strong in the force. Stronger than anyone has been. But you must not have your guard down. The Emperor may be dead and the sith may be gone, but the dark side still lurks throughout the galaxy. New threats will emerge in time_ ", Obi-wan warned his once apprentice. "I won't", Luke replied looking straight at him. The two made eye contact for the first time in years, Luke's bright blue eyes brighter than ever. " _Luke, you will meet new allies, new friends to help you embark your journey. They help teach you to accept the title of Master, and hopefully help you create the new jedi order_ ", Obi-wan said suddenly, breaking the silence between them. "New allies. Who are they?", Luke asked straightening his back. " _I have lingered for too long now_ ", Obi-wan said ignoring Luke's question. _"I must now complete my journey and go to what lies beyond. You too will embark on this journey someday_ ", he stated as he started to vanish.

"So I'm the last Jedi now?", Luke asked sadly before Obi-wan could rejoin the force. " _You are the last Jedi. But the first in the new",_ Obi-wan reassured his old padawan. Obi-wan's silhouette began to vanish, becoming more transparent by the second. " _It's time to say goodbye Luke. I truly love you and am so proud of you. May the force be with you",_ Obi-wan finally stated before he vanished into thin air. Taken by the force to the spiritual realm. Luke sighed, it was time to rebuild the Jedi Order. And by starting, he would end what the Jedi were always chained to. The political war they have fell into, becoming an army for the sith. Luke knew what needed to be done, it was a risky decision. But the new Jedi order will not be apart of the New Republic, no matter what they say. It'll save them from being corrupted and become the peace makers they're supposed to be.

Luke prepared himself for his declaration. Chancellor Mothma had requested his presence in the senate chamber later tonight. Han would fill in for Leia as she had just gave birth. Originally, Mothma wanted Luke to justify his actions aboard the second Death Star. A few weeks ago, some scavengers had found a recording of Luke's fateful duel aboard the Super Star Destroyer the _Ravager_. It belonged to the now dead Admiral Gallius Rax. The footage showed a duel that never occurred, it showed Luke using the darkside and killing both Vader and Palpatine in cold blood. He didn't know how the Empire had this, it simply popped out of nowhere. But he was going to clear his actions. Mothma already had been searching for him, and if it wasn't for Ben's birth, he wouldn't be here at all.

* * *

**The Ex-Imperial Senatorial Building**

"This is Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon. Clearance code 75-381", Han said transferring the clearance code to the Senatorial building. Han looked over at his brother-in-law, Luke was meditating next to him, his green kyber crystal floated in the air. "I'm one with the force, the force is with me. I'm one with the force, the force shall guide me", Luke murmured to himself, still with his eyes closed. "Kid, relax. Everything will be alright", Han reassured the Jedi. Luke opened his eyes, staring at Han. The lightsaber reassembled itself before it settled on Luke's lap. "I have a bad feeling about this", Luke said in a monotone.

" _Clearance code checks out. Welcome home Falcon"._

The Falcon landed gracefully in the hangar bay. Lando Calrissian stood there watching them get off. "Sorry I missed the birth", Lando said greeting the two men. "You didn't miss much", Han said as the two shook hands, "But our hands hurt like hell". Lando laughed before eyeing Luke. "Well well well, what have we here", Lando amusingly said as he groped his mustache. "That's not a good sign", Luke replied, "So how is the New Republic taking to my sudden return?", he asked. "Many senators are furious, others want you dead. They fear that you will eventually turn against the New Republic, with nothing to stop you", Lando explained as he guided them towards the high council chamber. Luke sighed, who knew that the galaxy was still fearful of the Jedi. But he couldn't turn back now, things needed to change. He couldn't have history repeat itself. The three men stood in front of the chamber's entrance. Luke closed his, putting his faith purely on the force. There's no going back now, he reminded himself on last time before the chamber's doors opened.

* * *

"State your name for the record", Wedge Antilles ordered from the top of his council chair. Luke rolled his eyes at his friend's demand. Was this really necessary? "Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight", Luke responded decided to play along. Wedge began typing into his computer terminal, recording everything in the meeting. "Master Skywalker, you do understand why we requested you?", the green Twi'lek Hera Syndulla asked from her chair. "Yes", Luke responded with a huff, "I am here, because of that ridiculous footage found aboard the _Ravager_ claiming to be proof of what happened aboard the second Death Star", he continued impassively. "That is correct Master Skywalker", Chancellor Mon Mothma commented from other side of the room. "Your actions aboard the second Death Star frightens everyone in the New Republic. Many are afraid you will turn to the dark side", Mon Mothma added as she displayed a chart from an earlier vote with the senate on how they viewed Luke's actions. "They are voting for something they don't understand", Luke protested, "I didn't kill Vader or the Emperor. I-".

"Spare us with your lies Skywalker. The Emperor and Vader were confirmed dead, you even burned Vader's helmet as proof", Mon Mothma interrupted, "If you are saying that you did not killed them, then who did. Because it clearly shows you killing them in the footage". Luke stayed quiet, although his father, Anakin Skywalker had redeemed himself and killed Palpatine, he was also Darth Vader. And he didn't think that the New Republic was ready to learn that bombshell yet. Hell, Leia didn't want to tell anyone that, it would ruin her reputation and career to be known as the daughter of Vader. Not to mention that it will ruin Ben's future. How would his little nephew react if he found out that Vader is his grandfather? Luke couldn't let anyone know who Vader used to be. They would simply know he was a killing machine, not a galactic war hero who was manipulated to betray everything he loved. "I cannot say. As it would cause more harm than good", Luke simply stated as he looked down. "Are you taking responsibility for this action?", Hera asked sincerely. Luke didn't reply.

Everyone was quiet, Luke was not cooperating. This frightened them, this was something that he was not known for. "With all respect Chancellor", Lando Calrissian began as he stood next to Luke, "Everyone in this room knows that a security footage or any footage for that matter, can be altered with. And considering that this was found on a super star destroyer right after the Empire fell on Jakku, this doesn't seem like a coincidence, the Empire had to be something to destroy us from the inside". Everyone on the council hummed in agreement. "That is very true", Mon Mothma admitted. "Perhaps this is a trick, to see how long New Republic can last before collapsing", Akbar suggested. Everyone started agreeing with the Mon Calamari Admiral, that was the most highly accurate description of what the Empire would do. "Let's take a vote on this", Mothma suggested.

Everyone started murmuring between themselves. Many argued that Luke was lying and was trying to cover his tracks, while others argued that Luke is being honest of what really happened. "That's enough!", Luke shouted. Everyone went quiet and stared at the Jedi below them. "I didn't kill Vader or Emperor Palpatine. I had help. But I'm willing to accept full responsibility, whether or not the footage is true", Luke declared. Han and Lando eyed Luke with worried eyes, "Luke, think before you speak", Han warned. Before Luke could answer him, Mon Mothma spoke up, "So you accept full responsibility? That could be conflicting, but as long as we can put this all behind us, the better".

"Now that this issue is being delt with, lets move over to the next topic. The future of the Jedi Order", Hera Syndulla began as she read outloud the treaty, "Once you have the next generation of Jedi ready, you will remain on Coruscant and be under constant surveillance by the New Republic authority. We'll begin-".

"No", Luke interrupted. A few members were outraged. "I beg your pardon?", Mon Mothma asked in disbelief. "The New Jedi Order will not be part of the Republic", Luke tried to explained. "Master Skywalker, you're extremely powerful. We all saw you in action during the battle of Jakku. And someone with that power needs to be put in check", Hera told him, "We can't have someone like you go rogue". Luke frowned. They were scared of him, scared because he was the last of his kind, scared of his power. "The Jedi of the past were corrupted by the Republic. They were blinded and at the height of their power, they led Darth Sidious to rise and wipe them out. My father, Anakin Skywalker, was loyal to what he believed was the Republic. The Hero with no fear, was betrayed and murdered by Darth Sidious's apprentice Darth Vader. My father, as well as all the jedi were betrayed by the Republic they worked hard to protect", Luke explained raising his voice. Half of what he was saying was true, the jedi became servants to the dark side, have lost their way. What he didn't say was that his father was Darth Vader, who turned to the dark side to and help cause the fall happen.

"That is how you view it from your father's perspective", Mon Mothma argued, "Yet your mother, Padmé Amidala, fought to restore the Republic even before it ever became an Empire". At the mention of his mother, Luke shifted uncomfortably. Though he could hide his emotions thanks to Leia teaching him how to, it was still uncomfortable to hear about the woman who gave birth to him. R2-D2 had shown him the holo-vids, he learned everything there was about her. But he still found it strange that he was related to someone as strong and brave as Padmé. "Are you to betray the wish of your Mother Luke?", Mon Mothma asked interrupting Luke's thoughts. Luke silence must have given the Supreme Chancellor a response because she gave him a disapproving look, "Your mother, would've been disappointed with having a son like you", she declared in disgust. Luke gave Mon Mothma a cold glare, "She would've been more disappointed with a friend like you", he barked. "My Jedi will not be a part of the Republic, and that's final", Luke declared before storming off. Han and Lando tried calling Luke back in, but Luke ignored his friends' plea. The high council was in disbelief. Murmurs began to fill in the silence as they tried to understand what just happened. "What do we do now?", Hera asked the Chancellor. Mon Mothma let out a sigh, "We have no choice. With Skywalker seemingly against us, we have no choice but to charge him with treason".

"You can't do that! Luke knows what he's doing", Han argued, Lando pulled his friend back as Han tried to argue in Luke's defense. "I'm sorry Commander Solo, but he must stand trail. He's going against the tradition set thousands of years ago, it is written that the Jedi must protect the Republic and it's citizens. That itself is treason", Mon Mothma explained, "I'm sorry. But on this day forward, Luke Skywalker is a wanted man". Lando pulled Han away from the high court and into the Falcon. "Han we'll sort this out, I promise", Lando reassured his friend. Han looked at Lando with worry, "He's not the only one who needs to be worried".

* * *

**Solo's Residency**

Leia walked into her room as she placed her newborn in his crib. She had returned from the Medical center just an hour prior. She hasn't received any words from Han or Luke on how the meeting was going. She had initially wanted to go speak in defense of her brother's actions aboard the second Death Star, but Benjamin Solo had decided to arrive earlier than expected. Making it impossible for her to attend the meeting. Leia suddenly heard rustling coming from another bedroom. She was supposed to be alone. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she pulled out a small blaster from her dress. She quietly entered the other room and watched as a shadow moved quickly taking stuff into a bag. She fired a shot towards the black silhouette, just missing a few inches away. The figure immediately got up, putting his hands up in surrender. "Luke?", Leia asked puzzled. "Leia", Luke replied in the same manner. "What are you doing Luke?", Leia asked again as she watched her brother packing up his stuff. "Luke, what happened?", she asked sitting down on the bed. Luke stopped packing, "Things didn't go so well. And I have to leave immediately", he barked at his sister. Leia's eyes widen from her brother's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry Leia", Luke immediately apologized, "I can't stay. It's for the best, for everyone's safety", he spoke in a more softer tone. "Well, if you're going to be running away, you need something other than black",Leia began as she held out a bag. "What is it?", Luke asked her taking the bag and peering inside. "Custom Jedi Robes. Since you are a Jedi Knight, you must have official jedi robes. I got tired of seeing you in all black, so I went to Naboo a week before Ben was born and got you the best quality fabric out there. You would not believe how long I had to listen to a Gungan talk while waiting for them", she explained smiling at how look Luke reacted. "Leia, you shouldn't have", Luke replied chuckling, "Even with the glove? I can't believe it", he finally said before embracing her into a hug.

There was a short awkward cough that interrupted the twins. Luke and Leia separated as they looked over to the sound of the voice. Han Solo stood in the doorway, eyeing the twins. "Han", Leia and Luke acknowledge at the same time. "How bad is it?", Leia asked her husband. "You're being charged with treason kid", Han said in disappointment. Luke looked down in shame as he separated from his sister completely. "You need to leave now Luke. They're coming for you", Han warned. Luke nodded as he headed towards the balcony. Artoo waited for him on his X-Wing, ready for take off. "Master Luke", Threepio acknowledged as Luke walked past him and onto the small fighter.

"Where will you go Luke?", Leia asked as she was joined by her Husband on the balcony. "Probably Manaan. I've been looking for the first Jedi Temple. So far it led me to Dantooine and Kashyyyk. It just adds up to a bigger map", Luke explained before grabbing his bags. "You sure its wise to go to Manaan even with the New Republic hunting for you?", Han asked. Luke simply shrugged, "The Selkath have been neutral for centuries, I think I'll be safe there. Plus, there isn't anything I can't handle. Just don't tell anyone where I am", he replied as his engines roared to life. "Just be careful Luke", Leia told him. "I will", Luke gave his infamous salute as his X-wing started to gain altitude. Luke eyed his friends one last time before lifting off. "Alright Artoo", Luke called out to his astromech droid, "Let's head for Manaan. Our journey awaits", Luke told his droid. He entered coordinates and watched as the fighter jump to hyperspace.


	3. The Council

Chapter 2

**Coruscant- Solo's Residency**

Leia activated her holo-disk as she rocked Ben to sleep. She was growing anxious, Luke had become a wanted man, Han and Chewbacca had to leave and deal with a pirate problem near Kashyyyk. But those were the least of her concerns. Luke and Han could handle themselves, but Leia had other problems to deal with. A few scattered remains of the Galactic Empire were hiding out near the outer rim and some have been seen near wild space. They were clearly planning something, because only the occasional star destroyer would appear near a planet rich with supplies and suddenly vanish. But what they were planning was beyond her.

Static cause Leia to jump back into the present as a hologram of the high council was displayed before her. "Ah, so good for you to finally join us Senator Organa. I'm glad you're recovering", Mon Mothma greeted from her chair. Leia greeted her and everyone in the room as she placed Ben in his crib. "Thank you all for being here", Mon Mothma began, "This private meeting is to discuss the future of the New Republic. We'll start off with the surviving imperials. Senator Organa, how is your investigation coming around?", the Chancellor asked. Everyone in the room turned around to face the holo-graphic form of Leia. "So far, my investigation had led me to two main factions that could be a threat for this young Republic. One small faction call themselves the First Order, their leader is the wanted Imperial Admiral Rae Sloane. They've been moving from planet to planet in the outer regions, their last sighting was near the moon that orbits a large planet called Illum", Leia said before showing a giant white planet that was mined years ago, "They, however, haven't been seen since". The council stayed quiet after hearing this. To begin, a group of imperials naming themselves and creating their own faction wasn't a good sign. "Unfortunately, with our signed treaty with the Empire after Jakku, there's nothing we can do", Mon Mothma stated in disappointment. "We must have an excuse Chancellor", Admiral Ackbar critiqued, "This small faction might be planning something".

"I agree Chancellor. I've ran into Sloane many times in the past. She is a woman to be feared. Having her act this way brings up many questions", Hera Syndulla argued as well, "We must delay operation demilitarize". Many started to argue on whether it was a smart idea to even demilitarize the Republic fleet. "I agree with General Syndulla, we had just made a deal with the Correlian system to produce more warships. Not to mention that Mon Cala is still making new designs each day", Wedge Antilles spoke out, "If we demilitarize now, we'll have many trainees and workers unemployed. This could cause conflicts the New Republic isn't ready for yet. And what if the remaining war lords unite to fight as one. Without a fleet, we're sitting ducks". Many started to murmur in agreement to Wedge's statement. The fleet was necessary, they had peace. But for how long?

"I think you're missing the point Captain Antilles, we are not meant to have an iron fist. What we need is the Jedi to protect us", Airen Cracken argued, "Without Skywalker at our side, we are useless. What we need is the Jedi. Not more ships. But frankly, Skywalker went rogue".

"Commander Skywalker did not go rogue", Leia finally spoke up, "He knows that we have to change. We can't just go back as things were before the Clone Wars. He will be at our side, just not like how you are all used to, but his Jedi will protect us".

"If that's what he really wants, then why did he run? The question we should be asking is, where is he?", Cracken argued in a harsher tone, "His final sighting was in your bedroom Organa. No doubt having an affair with you", Cracken accused Leia. "How dare you! Luke and I are simply friends!", Leia retorted. "The two of you seem to be a lot closer than just 'friends'", Cracken retorted back. "I am happily married to Han, and I have a son. I never had feelings for Luke in that way", Leia argued back.

"The two of you were making out on Hoth!"

"It was a misunderstanding!"

"So the fact that Skywalker was at your bedroom alone with you in the middle of the night is also a misunderstanding?"

"That's enough!", Mon Mothma declared. Cracken and Leia both sat back down. Leia had to calm Ben down as he started to stir when he felt his mother's sudden rage. "The fact that Skywalker was at Leia's apartment before he vanished does not mean they were having an affair", Mon Mothma argued. Leia glared at Cracken as she rocked Ben back to sleep. "But Leia, did Skywalker tell you where he was going? If we have a location, we can resolve this sooner". Leia stayed quiet for a moment. She was the only one in the room who knew where Luke was. But she didn't want to betray her brother's wishes. Kriff, she didn't want anyone knowing that Luke is her biological brother. Because if they knew, it put danger to her political career and towards her newly born son. "Senator?", Mon Mothma asked, "Do you know where Skywalker is?". Leia started getting nervous, "Well, uh he only told me he was going to the outer-rim. But-". She was suddenly cut off by Syndulla's comlink, which was going off like crazy.

"May I be excused?", Hera asked embarrassed that her comlink was going off in the middle of an important meeting. Mon Mothma rubbed her forehead as she slumped back down on her chair, "Let's take a twenty minute recession for now", Mon Mothma said as she got up to leave to use the refresher.

* * *

"How am I going to do this?", Mon Mothma asked herself as she was busy washing her hands. " _Perhaps I can help",_ a mysterious dark gurgling voice stated. Mon Mothma quickly turned around and pointed her small blaster at the source of the voice. "How did you get past security?", she asked in a demanding tone. A dark figure stood in the corner of the refresher. Dark long robes covered his face. " _I can help you get Skywalker under your control_ ", the figure offered. "How?", Mon Mothma questioned as she lowered her blaster, "We don't even know where he is anymore". The figure just chuckled. " _All you have to do is do exactly as I tell you"._

* * *

**Outer-rim: Location Unknown**

“Haar'chak, Ezra! Why do you have you have to be so difficult to find!”, yelled Sabine in frustration, “We’ve been to every known planet in this sector, and we still can’t find him”, she grunted, letting out a huff and throwing her helmet on the ground. “Calm down Sabine”, said Ahsoka as she piloted the _Jedi Finder_ , “We should’ve been more clearer with our questions when we asked for ‘destroyed or lost star destroyers’. The galaxy is full of them now”, she said in disbelief. “Ugh, I know. I know”, Sabine nonchalantly agreed as she rested her hand under her chin, “You’d think that when we promised Ezra to go find him, he would’ve made our job easier if he told us where he would’ve gone”. Ahsoka just rolled her eyes at the young Mandalorian, if Ezra did tell them where he was going they wouldn’t be here in the first place. “We’ll find him sure enough”, Ahsoka reassured her. “What planet are we going to next Ahsoka?”, Sabine asked, “Because I really don’t want to go to another ice planet. Just any thing but ice".

"Relax Sabine, we're not going to another ice planet. But we are going somewhere with a lot of snow", Ahsoka said with a smirk of her face. “Crait?”, Sabine asked as she prepared her snow gear. “Crait is not a snow planet silly its made up of salt”, Ahsoka commented, “We’re going to Illum. An old sacred place of the Jedi, its where younglings went to find their lightsaber crystal. Rex reported that the purgills were spotted nearby the planet. So if we go, we might get our lead for Ezra”, Ahsoka stated with hope in her voice. “Perfect. Finally we’re going somewhere”, Sabine said punching in coordinates for Illum. The two smiled at each other as the _Jedi Finder_ prepared it's jump to hyperspace.The two relax in their seats, preparing for their journey ahead. Sabine turned on the holo-net to entertain herself for a while. "This time, go for something more appropriate", Ahsoka reminded her. Sabine rolled her eyes as she was flipping the channels. "Wait!", Ahsoka shouted, "Sabine, stop on the holo-news for a second", the Togruta said extending her hand to signal the mandalorian.

“ _Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker has gone rogue. According to the officials in the New Republic, he is considered to armed and dangerous. As Skywalker stated in his own words, 'The Jedi Order will not be a part of the Republic', something that contradicted the tradition of the previous jedi order. This, just hours after he was brought in for questioning for his actions aboard the second Death Star_ ", the News reporter explained in his native language.

"Sabine, who is this Luke kid?", Ahsoka asked in disbelief as she watched the holo-news."He's that hotshot pilot that blew up the first Death Star", Sabine explained, "Never met him personally, but what I do know is that he is the Jedi responsible for ending the Emperor's and Vader's reign. Though I don't know why he would turn against the government he helped established". Ahsoka said nothing as she was awe struck. Luke Skywalker? Why hadn't she heard about him before? Was he Anakin's son? Because she remembers Bail Organa telling her that Padmé was pregnant and died still carrying her child. It couldn't be possible. Sabine noticed her friend was in shock and started worrying about her. "Ahsoka? Are you alright?", she asked her Togruta companion. Ahsoka looked up to the screen, the reporter now posted an image of Luke Skywalker. A young man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes was displayed. He had a striking resemblance to Anakin Skywalker. _He looks exactly like him,_ Ahsoka thought to herself, _The only difference is just the jawline. It's not as sharp as Anakin's. He must have got it... he must have got it from Padmé,_ she concluded sadly.

A beeping noise brought her out of thought. She quickly got on the controls to steer the _Jedi Finder_ out of hyperspace. The entrance was a little rough, but who would judge? "Woah, Ahsoka are you sure your alright?", Sabine said turning the holo-news off and facing the older Togruta. "I'm fine", Ahsoka muttered. Sabine gave an unconvinced look. "Really Sabine. I'm fine, just a little-", she tried saying. But another voice over the comms interrupted her, “Attention unidentified space craft, this is imperial space. Identity yourselves or be destroyed”.

* * *

**Illum**

"Imperial?”, Sabine and Ahsoka said in unison. “What are they doing here”, added Ahsoka. “Let’s find out”, Sabine concluded. “This is Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano, commanding officers for the New Republic. What is the Empire doing in this sector?", she asked. The other line was quiet for a moment, Sabine cautiously moved her hand towards the distress signal, one small push and an entire fleet arrives in thirty seconds. To their luck, a transmission came in. The hologram portrayed a woman in her early thirties with dark brown skin and bushy hair. “Rae Sloane, you bantha", Sabine gritted, "Turn yourself over to us, or there will be consequences". Rae just smiled at her, "Sabine Wren, you must know thatMas Amedda had signed the treaty for peace. So you must realize that you have no authority here".

"What are you doing on Illum?", Ahsoka immediately asked, "This place is sacred to the jedi, not to mention that there are numerous kyber crystals that you are not allowed to be near", she warned. Rae Sloane seemed to go over Ahsoka's warning as she clearly rolled her eyes. "The Jedi are all extinct, minus Skywalker. As for the jedi temple here and all of its precious kyber crystals, they are all gone. The Emperor mined this planet and destroyed the temple during his construction of the Death Stars. There is nothing here for you", Rae explained.

Sabine and Ahsoka glared at the woman, they couldn't attack her with Ahsoka's Jedi shuttle. And three star destroyers hovered over them. So any attack would be suicide, its also worth mentioning that she had scrambled their frequency, so their distress signal didn't get through. "You didn't exactly answer my question Rae", Sabine said with venom in her voice. "Oh, why I am here?", Rae questioned amusingly, "I came here to live in peace. Far from the galaxy, and far from the New Republic", she replied. "Then why do you have three star destroyers and hundreds of Tie fighters?", Ahsoka asked suspiciously. "Its simply a form of security, for me and my people living in the abandoned imperial factories", Rae told her. "Now, its my turn to ask you the same question. Why, exactly are you two here?", she asked with a smirk on her face. Before she got a response, Ahsoka quickly ended the transmission. "Quick. Make the jump", she yelled to Sabine. She quickly turned the _Jedi Finder_ to face away from Illum. The shuttle jumped to hyperspace, leaving the Empire behind. Rae Sloane stood in the bridge of her star destroyer as she watched the jedi shuttle jumped into hyperspace. “Is the tracker on?”, a male voice spoke out from the shadow. "Yes sir. It seems they're heading towards Lothal. Do we send the assassin?", Rae asked the man. The man walked out of the shadow. Gallius Rax stared at the empty space the shuttle once occupied. Half of his face was burned thanks to the battle of Jakku. His beard, however, still grew in the burned side of his face. "Call the assassin", he said dryly. A hologram of a woman in black and dark grey armor was presented before him. She wore a black helmet that had a red opaque "Y" shaped visor. The helmet itself seemed to be similar to Vader's helmet design. " _Yes_?", the assassin spoke in a harsh tone. "You know the job assassin. Follow them until they lead you to our target. Once once has found the target, eliminate them", Rax commanded.

_"As you wish"_ , the assassin mumbled before disappearing.

* * *

**Second Moon of** **Lothal**

The _Jedi Finder_ jumped out of hyperspace, near the orbiting moons of Lothal. “I’m contacting Hera to tell her about the remnants we found on Illum”, Sabine stated furiously. She started calling Hera, it took several minutes but their call got through. A hologram of a green Twi'lek was displayed in front of her. “Hey Hera, how is it going”, Sabine said flashing a smile at her ‘second’ mother. But Hera did not have a happy face, “ _Sabine Wren, you better have a good reason for this. I was in the middle of an important meeting_ ”, she scolded, “ _What did you need to tell me that so much important than to discussing the future of the Republic"._

“Uh, well we ran into a couple of imperials out here in the outer region”, Sabine said smiling weakly, “Ahsoka and I just wanted to tell you this, since you know, the New Republic should eliminate all our threats”. Hera shook her head and groaned, “ _Did they attack you?”_.

"No, they were rather neutral and they only had three star destroyers”, Ahsoka replied. “ _Then there’s nothing we can do. As long as they remain neutral in any way the New Republic, by Mon Mothma’s words, will not engage any remaining imperial that are not a threat to society_ ", said Hera, she then turned around. Someone in the background called her name, “ _Now if you may excuse me the meeting is starting again. I wish you the best luck on finding Ezra”_. Sabine and Ahsoka waved their goodbyes before ending the transmission. "Well now, Illum isn't a choice. So where to next?", Sabine asked Ahsoka. "Let's just sit here for a while and think on other planets to go to", Ahsoka declared.

* * *

**Coruscant**

“I wish to speak to Ms. Wren and Ms. Tano", Mon Mothma told Hera once she returned. “In private?”, Hera asked. “No, this must be heard by everyone in the room”, Mon Mothma replied. Hera only nodded and was starting to get a signal to contact Sabine again. “Leia”, Mon Mothma said, “May I speak with you for a moment?”. Leia looked nervous and only nodded as her hologram was moved towards a corner of the room. “I’d like to ask you where Skywalker is”, Mon Mothma commanded once the two were out of prying ears. “As you already know Chancellor, I don’t know where Luke Skywalker is”, Leia replied trying to not make eye contact. Mon Mothma slowly leaned into hologram of Leia, they were now inches away from each other. "I’ll give you a chance. Once I ask where he is in front of every single being in this room, you will tell me where he is. Or the senate, as well as the entire galaxy will find out who you really are, Skywalker. Or do you prefer the title, daughter of Vader”.

“Chancellor the call is through”, Hera announced from afar. “Choose your words wisely Leia, for the sake of your family”, Mon Mothma whispered before turning around and putting a smile on her face again greeting the hologram of Sabine and Ahsoka. “Ah, Sabine Wren , Ahsoka Tano its good to see you again”, Mon Mothma said gleefully. “ _It’s good to see you as well Chancellor, sorry about interrupting your meeting earlier”,_ Sabine said scratching the back of her head, “ _So what do you wish to speak to us about”._

“I have a mission for you", Mon Mothma spoke, "Sabine your expertise as a commander is very suitable for this mission. As well as you Ahsoka, years of experience fighting dangerous force wielders. That is why, I need you", Mothma said projecting an image of Luke, "We need you to bring in this man, for treason against the New Republic. We want you to bring him alive, and Ahsoka we can use your help in persuading him into re-adding the Jedi Order to the New Republic".

“ _Well ok, we were in the middle of another search and rescue operation, but we can manage that. But where do we even start looking, he went M.I.A from what I heard on the Holo-news”_ , Sabine remarked.

Mothma turned to the hologram of Leia that sat on the empty chair, “Senator Organa you know where Skywalker is?”. Leia hesitated, if she didn’t say the entire galaxy would mark her as a traitor for being Darth Vader’s daughter, but if she confessed Luke would be captured. But something in her told her to trust Ahsoka and Sabine. Though she knew the both of them at a young age, she still didn't completely trust them, but still. The force was telling her to trust them. _I’m so sorry Luke, I hope you can forgive me,_ Leia told him through the force. “Manaan. He’s heading for the Manaan system”, she managed to say looking at her feet in shame.

“Head to Manaan. But be cautious, he can be very dangerous”, Mon Mothma finished, “I bid you good luck on your journey”, ending the transmission.

* * *

**Second Moon of Lothal**

“I don't believe it!", Ahsoka shouted, "If this 'Luke' is really what he said he was, why would he not follow the single belief of the Jedi, to protect the Republic?".

"You're barking at the wrong tree Ahsoka. Because I don't have a single clue on Jedi business", Sabine spoke. "But I do believe that he'll be in better hands with us than without us", she commented.

Suddenly, a transmission came through, it was Leia. "Senator Organa, we didn't expect a call from you", Sabine said with a questioning look. Leia sighed, _"I need you to do me a favor"_ , she said. "A favor?", Sabine eyed her suspiciously. "Isn't it illegal for a senator to ask personal favors?", Sabine asked ready to end the transmission. To be fair, even if they were friends she still needed to obey Galactic law. " _I just need a single favor, please just listen to me"_ , Leia pleaded. Sabine was about to end the transmission when Ahsoka stopped her, "Let's hear what she has say Sabine". Sabine reluctantly agreed. " _T_ _hank you Ms.Tano"_ , Leia sighed in relief. "Please, call me Ahsoka", Ahsoka commented. _"Ahsoka, you used to be a jedi were you not?",_ Leia asked sincerely. "Once", Ahsoka replied a little hurt. _"So you understand why Luke is doing this. Please,_ _you know your mission is to find Luke... but I'm asking you both, from the bottom of my heart , don't bring him back to Coruscant, take him anywhere else other than the New Republic, take him as far away as possible_ ", Leia explained. "Why?", Sabine asked. Leia only stood there with her head down, " _He told me that the Jedi should not be involved with politics. And Chancellor Mothma wants him to lead a grand army and return things as they were before the Clone Wars. If you do find him, tell him that I sent you two, not the Republic. He trust me with his life, and he'll trust the both of you as well"._

"We will do that Leia, we promise", Ahsoka stated. Leia smiled looking at the two, " _Then I bid you farewell._ _May the force be with you_ ". And with that Leia ended her transmission. “Well we know what planet to head to next", Sabine said, "We get Skywalker and then we go look for Ezra". Ahsoka watched as Sabine punched in coordinates. She looked out the cockpit facing Lothal's moon, "Let's go get Skywalker”.


	4. The First Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The surviving imperial remnants start a plan

Chapter 3

**Illum**

Several Star Destroyers came out of hyperspace. Each inching closer to Admiral Sloane's small fleet. Rae greeted every chosen Admiral, General, and Moff, aboard her capital ship. The Ravager II was a modified victory one class star destroyer and a lot less luxurious, unlike Gallius Rax's super star destroyer that he lost during the battle of Jakku. But it served it's purpose. "I thank you all for coming", Rae Sloane began as she walked around the oval shaped conference table, "As you know, the late Emperor had plans to rebuild the Empire with the best military leaders. But with his sudden death in the battle of Endor, I plan to finish with what he started. Earlier today, my fleet had been visited by members of the New Republic, that is why I called you all here. To discuss the future for the Empire, and how to remain hidden from the New Republic".

“Why did you let those republic scums get away? You should have killed them when you had the chance!”, yelled Brendol Hux. The large man with dark orange hair slammed his fist as he stood up for a declaration. "And Gallius Rax was an idiot for leading our own forces against us. If it wasn't for him, the Empire would still have the firepower to go up against the New Republic for several more years". Several Moffs agreed with Hux's statement. War could still be at hand if they hadn't destroyed their own capitals with operation cinder. “My dear General, you must understand the importance of having patience”, a deep voice spoke out. Hux's eyes widen in shock. "Impossible!", he muttered. Gallius Rax walked out of the shadow. His burnt side of the face was revealed and it caught a lot of attention from the other imperials. “They will serve our purpose without knowing it. And the New Republic believes that any remaining hostile imperial factions has been fully destroyed. Their idiotic leaders, will eventually lead them to their demise", Rax admitted with a hint of glee hidden in his voice.

“ _So what's your plan exactly? Just build another Death Star? That project has been a failure. If not, a stupid military decision at best_ ", the hologram of Enric Pryde stated. "Oh I agree Pryde", Gallius Rax replied with a crooked smile. He turned on a holo-map of the entire known galaxy, displaying hundreds of red dots spread out across the galaxy. "All these red dots you see here, are all imperial warlords. They, like ourselves are trying to rebuild the Empire, or at least control their sectors. The final battle of Jakku and Operation Cinder were just mere decoys for the rebellion. My plan is to unite all these warlords into one group, the First Order".

" _Your plan? If you wanted to reunite the Empire, Operation Cinder and Jakku would not have happened_ ", Pryde judged as he frown at the half burned man, " _And you clearly are not capable of leading a successful campaign"._ Rax frowned at the hologram of the man who sat before him. Many started to agree with Pryde believing that Rax was not capable of being a true leader. "What of this planet?", Captain Doza questioned breaking the sudden silence. "We can't just let useful resources go to waste".

"Kyber crystals have a lot of energy, as demonstrated by the two Death Stars. But I'm aiming for something different this time", Rax explained to his peers, ignoring Pryde's previous statement. "Throughout history, there has been multiple super weapons that the ancient sith warriors have used against the Old Republic. One of which is the Star Forge, it's history in buried deep and almost difficult to find. Luckily I found an original blueprint of this weapon. And it turns out, it uses the energy of a nearby star to create the energy needed to make numerous fleets in a short amount of time. By using the kyber crystals energy, as well as a nearby star, we can create numerous fleets at half the time and much more powerful. And using the Death Star technology, we can use certain war ships as superweapons themselves. They won't be as destructive as a Death Star, but they will pack a puch against the New Republic fleet", Rax finished.

"Removing the New Republic's fleet in one hit is extraordinaire. But what of the Jedi? And how will we combat any uprising, let alone conquer the entire galaxy when we're fight an army”, Rae Sloane argued as she sat on her chair. “I must agree", Rax considered. "Though my spies in the New Republic have recently informed me that Skywalker may not enlist the Jedi Order into the New Republic, the assassin I sent will make sure that Skywalker will not have a chance to reconsider his decision. That alone will give us an advantage over the New Republic". Rax sat on his chair as he picked up a small model of a star destroyer. He observed it as it was lifted off the ground. "But to ensure we are not tested, we must develop new generations of star destroyers more powerful than the Republic’s entire firepower, and a new variation of tie fighters. Powerful, yet expendable”, he added.

“So we have ships, resources, a base, and a plan. But we’re missing a key element”, Doza proposed, “For an army, we need soldiers. Many of us still have our legions, but we should train newer generations of troopers if we play the waiting game. Where can we find anyone that will follow our commands and not be influenced by Republic Propaganda?”, Doza asked sincerely. Many Moffs and Admirals agreed. The New Republic was now the governing body, it would be hard to make people enlist when it controlled each sector with prying eyes. “Children”, Rax finally concluded, “Like in the Galactic Republic, they used clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, training every clone since birth. I believe that if we get children, brainwash them, and train them to be only loyal to the First Order, we'll create one of the most advanced armies the galaxy will ever see. We can start with our own children here”, gesturing at the pictures of each imperial officer’s children.

Brendol Hux started laughing, “My son would make a terrible imperial, a laughing stock to the Hux name”. Rax only hummed in amusement, “Oh, I disagree Brendol. Bring in young Armitage”, Rax ordered to his comlink, eyeing at the older Hux. Armitage Hux walked in. The young boy, about five years old, had bright red hair in contrast to his father, and he wore a big purple bruise across his face. It was clear that Brendol had abused the poor boy, and although each high ranking officer in the room had killed and tortured many people, they had their limits. It was imperial law to never harm a child, even if they worked for the rebellion. Rae Sloane and Enric Pryde frowned when they saw the boy in poor state. _Poor boy, his mother executed by the New Republic and his father an abusive man,_ Rax thought to himself, _he’ll make an excellent protégé._ “Come in Armitage”, Rax invited the younger Hux to an empty seat next to Rae Sloane.

“You summoned me, sir?”, young Hux asked nervously as he took a seat. “Yes, I want to know how loyal you will be to our empire”, Rax said looking down on him. “L- loyal t-till death, sir”, Armitage stuttered automatically. “Demonstrate for me your loyalty”, Rax told him softly. He gave the young boy a blaster, it was set on kill. “There is a spy in our mist who delivered valuable information to the enemy. The last living member of your family that lives and breathes turns out to be the spy”.

“What, what should I do?”, asked the young boy in fear. “You tell me, Armitage. Kill your father or keep the secret hidden from others, losing all your hard work and friends in the process”, Rax simply replied. “What! This is outrageous. Don’t listen to him, boy. Hand over the blaster”, yelled the Older Hux. The younger boy hesitated for a bit. His hands shook violently as he held the blaster that was still to big for his tiny hands. He looked over at Rax, then at his father who was extending his hand towards him. The little boy thought for a moment, trying to come up with the better outcome. If he obeyed his orders, he would live and the man who tormented him would be gone. But if he chose family over the loyalty for the empire, he would remain in the same position as before. He would get abused in many ways, perhaps far worse than now. the boy over came his restrains. He raised the blaster at his father, "What are you doing boy? I am your father", Brendol Hux screamed at him. “You were never a father for me Brendol”, the boy said in a dark voice before firing a single shot. Brendol's body slumped forwards as his life ceased to exist.

There was a loud gasp as the moffs and admirals noticed what had happened. There was complete silence as they watched Brendol's body fall the the floor. Hux stood over his father's corpse, his hands no longer shook as he held the blaster. A slow clap echoed through the room as Rax applauded the young boy. “As you can see”, Rax spoke calmly as he stepped over Brendol Hux's corpse, “With proper training, our future generations will be more loyal than the current armada that exist to this day. Our soldiers will be superior to our existing stormtroopers in every way".

_"I'm_ _sorry_ _but all of this is ridiculous. This is by far the worst idea you've had Gallius"_ , Enric Pryde spat, _"You expect all of us to join you and make a few faction even though you are the reason we have to make one in the first place. I'm done with you all, and if any of you want a true leader I suggest that you look somewhere else"_ , Pryde immediately disconnected at that. The room was silent as everyone in the room stared at Rax. A couple of moffs who were also connected via hologram disconnected as well, they agreed with Pryde's statement. All of this was foolish and everything could fall if the New Republic found out. Many admirals walked out, leaving only a handful of individuals left. "It's a shame they do not see the future as we do", Rax admitted dreadfully. He turned to face the remaining that stayed.

"Admiral Sloane, you will remain as the face for the First Order, since the galaxy doesn't know I am still alive. Captain Doza, I'm glad you stayed. You will be in charge of smuggling supplies and fuel for our armada. Moff Gideon, with your legion, you will take the Nevarro System, you must oversee the process and preparation of all children we 'rescue' from this galaxy, to become the next generation of First Order militia", Rax declared. The three nodded their heads, smiling at the new roles they will play in the new First Order. A protocol droid walked in with a plate filled with drinks. “This is a start of a new era my friends", Gallius Rax announced as he placed his hand on Armitage, "A toast to our First Order, the first of many steps to avenge our fallen Emperor. All hail the First Order", Rax declared raising an arm.

“All hail the First Order!”, everyone chanted as they raised there arms in praise. "All hail the First Order! All hail the First Order!". Rax smiled as he took a sip from his drink. "Let the final words of the New Republic be death!".


	5. Jedi Illusion

Chapter 4

**Hyperspace- Location Unknown**

"We'll arrive at Manaan in roughly 0300 hours", Ahsoka announced as she read the computer terminal. She turned from the cockpit to see Sabine still watching the footage Hera Syndulla had sent them for their mission "Sabine you should really stop watching that. You been there for half an hour now", Ahsoka commented as she turned the Mando's holo-pad off. "Hey, I was studying the report", Sabine pouted as she reached for her holo-pad. The two started wrestling to gain control of the holo-pad, when Ahsoka spoke up, kicking Sabine in the gut. "Why are you even watching the reports? We already have the information we need", Ahsoka said smiling at Sabine who groaned in pain. "I was looking at what the New Republic had on him", Sabine managed to say as she clutch her stomach. "Not only did he end the Emperor and Vader's reign, he brought down several star destroyers during the battle of Jakku, just by using the force", she said with amazement. "There's no way that is true. All the force wielders that I know of can't bring down an entire warship on their own. That's just a big exaggerated lie", Ahsoka scolded. While Ahsoka had her guard down, Sabine took her chance to grab her holo-pad.

"Hey", the Togruta shouted in surprise, she called over her staff and was about to charge at Sabine, when she noticed what Sabine had her eyes on. The surviving footage of Luke's fateful duel was displayed in all of it's glory. The two women watched as Luke, Vader, and Palpatine were facing the direction of the throne room's viewport, watching the battle going on outside. Suddenly, Luke ignited his lightsaber and went to strike at Palpatine, with Vader saving the Emperor with his lightsaber with seconds to spare. The footage continued displaying Luke overpowering Vader, which ended quickly with Vader's hand being cut off and being thrown off screen. Ahsoka's eyes widen in horror. _Anakin Skywalker was weak, I destroyed him._ Vader's words haunted her. Another camera angle intercepted, showing Vader as he sat on the floor pleading for mercy, something many would not have believed could be possible. Luke raised his blade up high. Ahsoka couldn't watch the slaughter. Did Luke know who Vader was? Did he know that the monster before him was his father? Ahsoka heard the sound of a chop and looked back to the screen. Luke had ignored Vader's request, Vader's helmet was thrown straight to the Emperor's feet. The Emperor tried running, his royal guards charging the Jedi with full force. But Luke stopped them all with the force, and shot blue lightning from his fingertips, cooking the Emperor and guards alive until they fell dead. The camera moved again and ended with Luke calmly dragging Vader's lifeless body to the elevator, it then zoomed closer showing Luke having yellow eyes before disabling the camera.

Ahsoka and Sabine stood there shocked as the screen went to static. "Is this real?", Sabine asked with fear in her voice, "Let's just forget about this mission, and continue looking for Ezra", she suggested shyly. Ahsoka merely shook her head. "No, the force brought us here to confront him. And Leia said we should help him. That means that there is only two possibilities", Ahsoka explained. "And what are those two possibilities?", Sabine asked removing her hands from the nava-computer. "Its either that footage is a fake", Ahsoka briefly stopped before looking at Sabine worried. "Or Luke Skywalker isn't who he says he is".

* * *

**Manaan**

The _Jedi Finder_ landed in Manaan's public landing bay. "Five thousand credits! Are you out of your mind?", Sabine shouted in horror as the native Selkath told her the price of entree. "Sabine calm down, we're trying to not get a lot of attention here", Ahsoka reminded her. "Tell that to this Selkath with his ridiculous pricing", Sabine barked at Ahsoka. _"In order to enter the city, you must pay the fee. It is written law"_ , the protocol droid translated. "We don't have the money!", Sabine yelled in frustration at the droid and Selkath. She peered over to Ahsoka, "Can't you do your thing?", she asked the Togrutan. "What thing?", Ahsoka asked confused. Sabine waved her hand in front of the droid, trying to tell the Ahsoka to use her mind tricks on the Selkath. "Are you crazy!?", Ahsoka whispered to Sabine. "The droid is right here. He'll see everything and just tell on us", Ahsoka pointed out. "I can fix that", Sabine slyly remarked. She pulled out her Westar blaster and shot the droid in the face. The protocol droid yelped before turning into a pile of burning rubble. The Selkath screamed in horror and curse the two in his native tongue. Ahsoka quickly waved her hand in front of the Selkath. "You remember nothing", Ahsoka commanded in a monotone. The Selkath immediately stiffened as he repeated Ahsoka's words. "You will let us pass", Ahsoka commanded as she emphasized on the word _"will"._ The Selkath moved out of the way as he opened the entree gate. Ahsoka and Sabine walked in, saying nothing as the Selkath waved them off.

"Next time, let's try the legal way Sabine", Ahsoka commented as they walked through the streets of Manaan. "Why? It's much easier this way", Sabine whined as they passed several Selkath enjoying their day. "I do not want to abuse my power", Ahsoka quickly stated as her voice rose, "I should be using it for good. Not for our own benefit". Sabine rolled her eyes under her helmet, "I hate to break it to you Ahsoka, but we would get nowhere if we played nice", Sabine argued. "We already wasted two years just trying to get a lead on Ezra's whereabouts. And now we have to do this!? The sooner we get Skywalker, the better". The two women walked towards the central cantina, hoping to see if anyone had seen or heard of Luke.

"Excuse me", Ahsoka interrupted a couple of men playing holo-chess. "Have any of you seen this man", Ahsoka pulled out a holo-disk and displayed the picture of Luke. "What is he, your boyfriend or something?", one man jokingly asked. Ahsoka frowned at the joke, now was not a time for humor. "Just answer the question", Sabine stated as she pulled out her blaster. The man looked closely at the hologram presented before him. "Yeah, I've seen him. Down by the docks, said he came here looking for something". Sabine looked over at Ahsoka as she retrieved the holo-disk. "The docks are currently closed. I suggest we check the motel", she suggested. "Do you know where he's staying?", Ahsoka asked the man. The man snickered, "Well for that, you gotta pay sweetheart". Ahsoka rolled her eyes, did this man only care about money? "How much?", Ahsoka asked ready to make a small transaction. "How much do you charge for one night?", the man flashed a toothy grin. Ahsoka smacked the man on the head with her staff. "Go kiss a wookie", she cursed at him before leaving the table.

"I told you, you should have worn a helmet", Sabine teased Ahsoka as they left the cantina. "Or at least a face mask. Seeing how your montrals are huge", she continued as she poked Ahsoka's head. Ahsoka swatted her away in a fit of rage. "Let's just find Skyguy and get out of here", commented the Togruta. Sabine looked at her confused. "Skyguy? Don't you mean Skywalker?". Ahsoka blushed in embarrassment. "Right. Skywalker, I don't know why I called him that", she confessed with a hint of sadness. The two remained silent as they headed towards the motel. Ready to begin their search for the last jedi.

* * *

After spending hours walking all over the place, they haven't found a single trace of Luke Skywalker. Ahsoka and Sabine were now sitting on a small public bench in front of the motel, exhausted. What made it worse was that an old man kept talking to the R2 unit that was busy fixing an electrical outlet. "Hey buddy", Sabine called out not really in the mood, "Keep it quiet over there, or you'll get a blaster bolt hit you in the face", she warned. The old man simply let out a laugh, which only angered Sabine who pulled out her blaster and pointed at the man. The man quickly put his hands up, "I mean you no harm", he said in a raspy voice. "Sabine!", Ahsoka shouted in horror, she quickly put her hand on the blaster, "Calm down", she hissed at her. Sabine slowly lowered her blaster, ashamed that she was about to attack an innocent old man. "Sorry about my friend", Ahsoka said apologizing to the old man, "We're just a little tired", she explained. The old man seemed to accept Ahsoka apology. Ahsoka hoped that would be the end of the old man pestering about, but he turned to her and asked, "Now I am wondering, why are you here?". Ahsoka let out a small groan before turning to face him, "We're looking for someone", she simply stated. "Looking?", the old man said amusingly, "I say you found someone", he said laughing at his joke. Ahsoka and Sabine just rolled their eyes at the old man's joke.

"We're looking for a Jedi", Sabine clarified. "Ooh, a Jedi. A rare sight these days. Very rare indeed. Perhaps you seek a man named Skywalker", the old man said. That got the girl's attention. "You know where he is?", they asked hopefully. The man simply smiled, "I'll take you to him", he said while getting up. "But first, you two ladies must eat. You had a long day. Come, let us eat, then I'll take you to Skywalker", the man said az he walked to his small apartment.

* * *

The room was quiet, the three of them were sitting at the small dinner table, eating their meals. It was a warm soup. And even though it was very hot and humid outside, the soup was surprisingly refreshing. "Why do you seek Skywalker anyway?", the old man asked. Ahsoka stayed quiet for a second. Why would this man want to know? The New Republic may have warned people of Luke, but they didn't need every single detail. "We were sent by the New Republic to capture him and bring him to justice", she finally spoke up as she drank her soup. The man seemed uncomfortable at the mention of the arrest warrant. "But can you keep a secret?", Ahsoka asked the man. Sabine eyed her from across the table, her eyes telling Ahsoka not to say anything. "I've kept ton of secrets, you can trust me", the man delightfully stated. Ahsoka took a deep breath before speaking. "We're mainly doing this to help our friend Leia", Ahsoka said calmly, "She told us that we need to help him escape the grasp of the New Republic".

"Escape? Skywalker must have done something to tick them off", the man said as he got up and put his bowl in the sink. "I know Skywalker. Saved my life once, I'll help you get him to safety. It's the least I can do". Ahsoka thanked the sweet old man, at least some people still trusted the Jedi, even after most of them were now stories of old times. "We never got your name", Sabine said as she finished her soup. The man looked at her puzzled, but he quickly hid it. He seemed to be thinking because he took a long time to respond, "Talus", he simply stated. Ahsoka's immediately noticed the red flag. How could he forget his own name? He was old, but not that old. Only seemed to be a few years older than her. Ahsoka then realized something. The motel room lacked any visible usage. No crates or trash. It looked brand new, as if no one has ever lived here before. "Excuse me", Talus said as he headed to the refresher. As he walked by, that's when Ahsoka saw it. The lightsaber clinging on the old man's belt.

Once Talus left the room, Ahsoka quickly ran to his bedroom. "Ahsoka! What are you doing?", Sabine yelled whispering. But Ahsoka ignored her as she looked through his drawers. They were empty. She looked around the room and found several bags. As she opened one, she was met with the sight of several holocrons. And not just Jedi ones. She continued her search, she found a strange compass, and clothes that clearly didn't fit the old man. Luke Skywalker was here, but what happened to him? The old man finally came out of the refresher. That's when Ahsoka charged at him. She ignited her lightsabers and she cornered Talus, her two white blades inches from his face. "Where is he?", she demanded. Out of nowhere a green blade blocked her white ones. The old man had the saber in hand, the two exchanged blows, but Ahsoka was able to trapped his blade. She quickly felt a shocking pain spread around her body, she looked down and saw his left hand delivering a dim yellow colored lightning to her body. She fell to the floor, the pain was bearable, but it was making her extremely tired. She managed to look over at Sabine, who had also been electrocuted. The last thing she remembered seeing was the man turning Luke's green blade off, before passing out.

* * *

Ahsoka woke up on a bed, confused on what had happened. She wasn't tied up, nore could she see or feel any damage done to her. "What happened?", she asked painfully. She wasn't expecting anyone to answer, but a raspy voice did. "You were unconscious for a few hours", it was the old man. The same old man, Talus, that had something to do with Luke Skywalker's disappearance on Manaan. She tried calling her lightsabers, but they wouldn't move, no matter how hard she tried. "It won't work", he stated dryly, "I disconnected you from the force temporarily". He pointed at the handcuffs planted on her feet that blocked her connection. Ahsoka only glared at him, "My friend?", she asked. "Still unconscious", Talus confirmed, "She'll wake up in an hour or so".

"What do you want from me?", Ahsoka asked. "Nothing", he said, "I just wanted to know why you tried attacking me". Ahsoka was stunned for a moment before getting up from the bed to face the man, "I came here to find and help Skywalker. You had his belongings, and we couldn't find him anywhere. So you did something to him", she accusingly said pointing a finger at Talus. Talus simply stared at her with an amused expression, "Well, you came in peace. Offered to help me, I invited you in, but then you attacked me. And I just defended myself", he defended. "Help you? I don't remember saying anything about helping you. I said I was here to help Luke Skywalker. You are clearly not him", Ahsoka defended herself. "But I am the Jedi you seek. Luke Skywalker", Talus stated.

"Right and I am clearly Jabba the Hutt", Ahsoka said with sarcasm. "I wasn't sure on whether to trust you or not", Talus argued. Ahsoka instantly went quiet, his voice changed. The voice didn't fit his elderly body. It wasn't the same raspy voice of an old man, it was a higher pitch, one of a young man. "Your voice", she managed to say in shock, "It changed". Talus smiled, "Alter image. Discovered by a Jedi of the past", he explained. Slowly the face of the old man started to vanish to reveal the face of a young man with dirty blonde hair. The same young man that was the one she came to find, Luke Skywalker. With the remaining shock, Ahsoka quickly passed out again. Luke was able to catch her in time. "Do you think I should've ditched the disguise before we met?", he asked his little blue droid, R2-D2, who was in his own sweeping droid disguise. Artoo let out an agreeing whistle, which Luke only sighed to the response as he settled the Togrutan back to bed. "C'mon Artoo, let's get them something to eat", Luke said getting up from the chair he was sitting in. Artoo followed him, chirping about how he wanted to remove his disguise as well. "Alright Artoo, I'll remove your disguise before we eat. Why do you have to be complicated sometimes?", Luke said patting the little astromech droid's head as they both left the room.

* * *

Ahsoka felt like she was being shaken to death, a faint voice called out for her. She ignored the voice, she just wanted to rest. Everything was just too much for her to understand. _**Bam!!!**_ Ahsoka woke up gasping for air. She looked to where she heard to loud noise from, her left cheek was stinging with pain, and there stood Sabine Wren with her hand up, just inches away from Ahsoka. "Did you just slapped me?", Ahsoka asked angrily. "You weren't waking up", Sabine said defending her actions, "C'mon we need to leave before Talus comes back", she said as she pulled on Ahsoka's hand. Ahsoka quickly let go, "No. We have to stay. Talus is Luke Skywalker", she explained. "What? There's no way that old maniac is the Luke Skywalker. For one thing, he isn't as attractive as him" Sabine said. Ahsoka just gave her a confused look, "Hey, poster boys are always attractive", Sabine said flashing a smile, "C'mon don't tell me you don't find him a little attractive", Sabine said nudging Ahsoka's shoulder. "What? No!", Ahsoka shouted in disgust, "That's wrong for me to think of him like that. I was his father's padawan, and his mother's friend. That's just feels morally wrong!".

"I, uh, didn't need to know all that information", a male voice suddenly said. Both Ahsoka and Sabine quickly turned to the voice, to see Luke Skywalker standing in the entrance with his astromech R2-D2 holding two small bowls. The two women instantly blushed in embarrassment, though Ahsoka's was less noticeable due to her orange skin. "How long have you've been standing there?", Sabine embarrassingly asked. "Just long enough to hear Ahsoka's, uh, little confession", Luke said awkwardly grabbing a nearby chair. Ahsoka's blush instantly became a dark red, noticeable from her orange hue.

"Do you mind if I talk to her alone, Sabine?", Luke asked. Sabine nodded and headed towards the door, but she suddenly stopped turning to face Luke. "Wait, how do you know my name?", she asked. Luke simply smiled, "You pointed your blaster at me on the platform when you were very tired", he explained. "Wait.. You were that old man? How? Your at least a year or two younger than me?", Sabine asked awestruck. Luke just chuckled at Sabine's amazement and confusion. "The force works in mysterious ways", Luke said stepping out of Sabine's path. "Of course, Jedi wizardry that I'll never understand", she said preparing to leave the room. "I'm going to need you to leave your blasters here", Luke said. "Woah, woah, woah. We don't exactly trust you", Sabine said pulling her bag closer to her. "You attacked us and knock us out. And the New Republic has you in a dangerous personnel file, I think we should have your blaster and lightsaber".

Even though it was them who attacked first, Luke still complied with Sabine's commands, handing her his weapons as she left the room. "Artoo, entertain her for a while", Luke said to his companion. Artoo followed suit, heading towards the living quarters. Leaving both Luke and Ahsoka alone. There was an awkward silence between the two, mostly on Ahsoka's behalf. "You know", Luke spoke up, "This wasn't how I thought I'd be meeting my Father's old padawan", he said breaking the silence.

"So, you know a few things about me?", Ahsoka asked shifting uncomfortably on the bed. Luke nodded, "Artoo's memory bank is filled with the adventures of you, my father, and Obi-wan. I also heard a lot about you from Captain Rex after the battle of Endor", he explained. "It's nice knowing there are others out there that survived the Empire", Luke continue. "How did you use lightning on me?", Ahsoka asked. "Force judgment actually. A very weak form of lightning, it's been used by tons of Jedi before me", Luke explained hoping not to scare her. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about the last duel you had on Endor", Ahsoka said inching towards her lightsabers just in case. Luke frowned, "Let me guess, you believed the altered security footage that was shown", he said in a disappointed tone. Ahsoka looked down, what was she supposed to say. This was the man that ended the sith, ended the Empire, how can she not trust him? Her silence must have answered Luke's question because he moved on. "My masters wanted me to kill Vader and Sidious, but I didn't. If I did what my Masters wanted me to do, I would've fell straight into Palpatine's plan to turn me over to the dark side", he explained.

"So if you didn't end Vader or Palpatine, who did?", Ahsoka asked curiously. Luke looked up at her in silence, knowing that she might not be completely ready for the truth. "I think you already know", was all Luke told her. "Anakin", Ahsoka whispered to herself, she looked up at Luke, "Did you know?". "About Darth Vader being my father Anakin Skywalker? Yes, I learned the news after my duel with him on Bespin", Luke replied. "Why don't you just tell the New Republic what really happened Luke? You wouldn't need to have to look over your shoulder anymore", Ahsoka suggested while getting from the bed and sitting closer to Luke.

"Tell them what exactly? That my father, who became one of the galaxy's most hated and feared man, saved me from the Emperor who was about to kill me? The galaxy only knows about Anakin Skywalker being my father. Not Vader. It would ruin my appearance and hope to bring in a new jedi order. Most of the Rebellion didn't fully trust me, and if they knew I was Darth Vader's son, they would've used me as bait for the Empire. And it would be a danger to both my sister and nephew at this point", Luke explained getting up from his chair. "Wait", Ahsoka said stopping him, "Sister? You have a sister?", she asked fully grabbing him. "Yes. You already met her. In fact, you met her one time when you were talking with Bail Organa", Luke responded. Ahsoka was going over what he said, she has met a lot of young girls during her time with the rebellion, but only one stood from the rest. "Leia", she said under her breath. Of course, it makes sense. Leia had called her and Sabine because she was worried about him. Not like a friend, but as a sister would love and care for her brother. She then remembered what Leia had told them, to take Luke as far away as possible. She then got an idea, "Luke I have a proposition for you".


	6. The Adventure Begins

Chapter 5

"So let me get this straight", Luke began as he walked in circles. "You want me to join your expedition to find this Ezra Bridger?", Luke asked as he stopped in his tracks. "Yes, I know you have your own thing you want to finish, but we need help finding him. With a jedi around, we can hopefully find him faster. And we can keep you away from the New Republic until Leia clears your name", Ahsoka suggested following right behind him. Luke turned around to face the Togruta. "Ahsoka, your a better Jedi that I know, your wiser with the will of the force than I'll ever be", he said calling to Artoo in the process. Ahsoka looked down at her feet, "Luke", she said sadly, "I am not a Jedi, I left the order". Luke stared at her, their blue eyes meeting each other's gaze. A comfortable silence between the two, as if they've been a family for a long time. "Ahsoka", Luke said slowly, "We are the last of the Jedi Religion. It is my mission to rebuild the Jedi, with those that have survived the Empire. That's why I'm in Manaan, I came to search for the first jedi temple, to help me receive the forgotten knowledge of the force. I am not ready to lead the next generation, but I believe that you are the one who is capable of leading the next generation until I'm ready".

Luke the pulled out a small object, one Ahsoka hasn't seen in years. It was her old padawan braid, the last thing she saw before leaving the order. Her hand automatically reached for it, but she stopped. The painful memory of her old master suddenly appeared I'm asking you back, Anakin's voice inside her echoed, she quickly closed Luke's hand moving away from him. "I-I can't", she said turning away from Luke, not wanting to see the disappointment in his face as once his father had when she had rejected his invitation. "I'll join your expedition, you need to see that you are a jedi, a true one at that. And I'll help you along the way", Luke said putting his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. Ahsoka gave him a weak smile, he really did care. Just like Anakin, but his strong desire to help came from Padmé, and knowing the both of them, Luke will not back down until Ahsoka gave in. "Alright little Skyguy, I'll tell you what you need to know", Ahsoka declared smiling proudly. Luke was confused as to why Ahsoka had called him such a childish name, but he didn't dare question it. It made her happy, and that was good enough for him.

* * *

"So...what your telling me, is that this Ezra kid used space whales to defeat an admiral named Thrawn?", Luke asked confused on the story he just heard. "Grand admiral actually", Sabine corrected as they sat in the living quarters. Luke looked at both Sabine and Ahsoka who explained everything that happened in the liberation of Lothal. "I know, it sounds crazy. I myself didn't truly believed it when it actually happened", Sabine said trying to see if she could pull up a recording of the event, yet failed to do so. "What are the species called?", he asked. "Purgills. Large space whales that can travel through hyperspace", Sabine stated trying to think further into her memory of what happened years ago. "Purgills. Purgills", Luke muttered under his breath, "Why does it sound familiar". Artoo suddenly chirped saying how he remembered that in one of the holocrons they mentioned Purgills. "Of course!", Luke said running to the corner of the room. There was at least three bags filled with holocrons and artifacts that seemed very ancient, ancient enough to easily brake if handled improperly.

Luke reached into the smaller bag, rummaging through all the holocrons until he finally found the one. He pulled out a small yellow-orange box that was about the size of his hand. "Artoo and I found this holocron in the shadow lands on Kashyyyk", he explained. He went back to where Ahsoka and Sabine were still seated, taking a seat next to them. Luke then closed his eyes, meditating in the force. The holocron started to levitate and glow the same yellow-orange light the ancient artifact produced. " _Greetings Jedi, my name is Bastilla Shan. How may I assist you?_ ", the holocron said. "I don't believe it", Ahsoka said awestruck, Sabine gave her a confused look. "Bastilla Shan was just a legend when I was at the temple during the clone wars. Many believed that she didn't even exist at all", Ahsoka explained to her. "Learn something new everyday, right Ahsoka?", Luke said in a monotone voice. "Ask about the Purgills Luke", Sabine said a little bit impatiently. "Master Shan, I wish to learn about the creatures you mentioned about earlier, the Purgills", Luke said to the holocron. The holocron buffered a minute, searching for Luke's request.

" _You wish to learn about the Purgills? Fascinating creatures, they use the force to hurl themselves to hyperspace. I've encountered many of them once in my prime, when I was searching for the Dark Lords, Darth Revan and Darth Malak after the Mandalorian war had ended. Each time these Purgills jumped, many believed that they just floated aimlessly in empty space, but they actually migrate in a pattern. They travel to many known and unknown planets. Only half of these planets are on any star chart records. Some of these are: Dantooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan, and the sith homeworld, Korriban. If you wish to find these creatures or their potential breeding ground then you need to find the starmaps hidden in every planet mentioned before_ ", the holocron form of Bastilla Shan explained before asking again, " _Is there anything else you want to learn?_ ".

"Not now, thank you", Luke said to the holocron before closing it, "It appears that I will be going with you. My mission was to find the first jedi temple, and they somehow follow the same path as the purgills", Luke said to Sabine and Ahsoka before putting his holocron back inside his bag. "So we now have a lead, do we start from the beginning?", Sabine asked. "We won't need to", Luke said, "I've already been to Dantooine, and Kashyyyk. And we're on Manaan. I'm pretty sure I would've felt a presence on any of those planets", he stated before picking up his bag. "So, you made our job easier, little Skyguy", Ahsoka said ruffling Luke's hair. "We just need to travel to Korriban and start from there". Artoo let out an excited chirp as he waited for another adventure. "The droid's right. What are we waiting for? Lets go jedi!", Sabine said packing her things. With the two force users following right behind.

* * *

The three walked out of Luke's small motel room, with Artoo leading the way to the landing platforms. "So what ship are we going to use? My X-Wing is around the corner, but it's a one seat fighter", Luke said as he carried his bags. "That's alright Skyguy, I have a T-6 shuttle. It's highly modified, so there's space for all of us to stay and sleep in", Ahsoka suggested. Luke raised a brow at the mention of the shuttle. A T-6 was slow in hyperspace. He was used to fast travel thanks to the X-Wing and the _Millennium Falcon._ But a T-6? He wasn't sure if being stuck on a long journey would be fitting. He wanted to go on his own path. But if staying with them in the slowest ship possible, meant that Ahsoka or this Ezra person could join his order and take care of it, then it would be worth it.

"Why does she keep calling me Skyguy?", Luke asked the Mandalorian next to him, confused as to why Ahsoka kept calling him such a childish name. Sabine simply shrugged. "You're asking the wrong person", she told him. Luke looked over at Artoo to see if his droid could explain it. But Artoo simply chuckled before rolling back as leader. They were almost at the ship until Luke accidentally bumped into two individuals. " _Hey watch where your going kid"_ , an alien spoke in native tongue. "Sorry", Luke replied. The other one was a man, with a disfigured face as pulled Luke closer. "We're wanted men. We- wait a minute", the man suddenly said. "I've seen you before". The alien also joined in, using his prosthetic limb to push Luke into a wall. " _Yes. I remembered. You are that kid from Tatooine, the with the old man",_ he said. They pulled out a small knife. "I've got to admit, your face is more fuller than the last time we met", the man and alien grinned evilly, "Let's fix that for you". The man then started to inch his blade closer to Luke, while his alien companion held him still. A white blade suddenly came into view as it sliced the man's arm off. The man screamed out in pain as he clutched his arm socket as his once arm fell to the ground. Ahsoka stepped forwards as she clutched one of her lightsaber. "Lay another hand on him, and I won't hesitate to cut you're head off", Ahsoka threatened as she raised her blade. The alien quickly let Luke go as rushed his companion away.

There was a dreaded silence after that. "Ahsoka, I could've handle it myself", Luke huffed out. Ahsoka looked at Luke worriedly. "I'm just worried about your safety little Skyguy", she stated before she and Sabine boarded the _Jedi Finder_. Ahsoka turned around, Luke and Artoo stood there, unsure if they should board as well. "Come on you two. Don't be shy", Ahsoka said in a softer tone, "Especially you Artooie", she said before walking back inside. "I don't know why Artoo", Luke said to his little droid as they boarded. "I just have a bad feeling about this", he simply stated as the _Jedi Finder's_ doors closed behind him. The engines roared to life as the T-6 shuttle prepared for liftoff. The shuttle rose above the ground before it accelerated out of Manaan's landing bay. It blasted through the atmosphere as it met the cold heart of space. Sabine took control of the nava computer, punching in the coordinates. "First stop, Korriban", she stated excitedly. The _Jedi Finder_ moved into position before jumping to hyperspace.


	7. The Eclipse

Chapter 6

“We'll arrive to Korriban in 0100 hours”, Sabine announced from the cockpit. Three blades clashed against each other as Ahsoka and Luke were dueling with blind folds on. The two were dodging each other's attack, with Ahsoka trying desperately to trap Luke in a corner, but he simply dodged her or jumped over Ahsoka's attempts. "You're quick", Ahsoka said as she formed an "X" with her lightsabers. "But I'm quicker", she teasingly stated as she blocked Luke's blows. Luke kicked Ahsoka in the gut, sending her flying towards a wall. Ahsoka let out a small _oof_ as her back hit the wall. "Don't get too overconfident now", Luke joked as he brought his lightsaber up for another round. He waited for Ahsoka to reply with a snarky remark, or force pull him into the wall as well. But there was nothing. Luke immediately took off his blindfold to see what was wrong. "Ahsoka?", Luke asked with fear in his voice. Did he hurt her? He hoped not. He was about to check her pulse when Ahsoka immediately kicked him in the legs, causing him to lose balance and fall hard on the floor. In one single move, Ahsoka was now standing up, pinning Luke on the floor with her lightsabers pointed at his neck. "Beat you", she stated firmly. Luke cocked his eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?", he said enthusiastically. Ahsoka ripped off her blindfold and noticed that Luke had passed her defense. His green blade hovered inches from her abdomen. "You're sneakier than I thought Skyguy", Ahsoka said impressed on Luke's performance. "You'll find out I'm full of surprises", Luke replied as Ahsoka helped him to his feet.

"Not bad for someone with limited training. Though you need to work a little more on your forms", Ahsoka suggested as she placed her weapons away. "That bad huh?", Luke stated as he sat on a crate. "I'm just giving you some friendly advice", Ahsoka tried to reassure him, "I get you needed to train to fight Vader properly. But not everyone fights like Vader. For example, I mostly use a mixture of Niman and Ataru. It requires more acrobatic movement than your mixture of Shien and Soresu", Ahsoka explained offering Luke some water as they walked back into the cockpit all sweaty and tired. "If it's alright, I wouldn't mind if you'd teach me some of your moves", Luke said shyly as he sat down. Ahsoka couldn't help but smile. "How about once we land I teach you some neat tricks? I don't think Master Yoda or Obi-wan taught you everything about lightsaber forms. Only the important ones", Ahsoka suggested. "Sure thing", Luke agreed chugging down the bottled water. Ahsoka had a nervous feeling inside her. The last time she has ever taught someone was when a curious Ezra Bridger followed his master around like a plague. It was a nice feeling of passing down the knowledge one has learned over the years. But Ahsoka couldn't take back the excitement. Luke Skywalker, hero of the rebellion, no of the galaxy had asked for her teachings. Normally she would be calm like she had with Ezra and Kanan. But Luke was different, he was Anakin's son. She only wished she met him sooner. But then a thought immediately worried her. He was Anakin's son. Anakin became Darth Vader, would it end the same way for Luke?

Luke wasn't as possessive or got angry like his father. But she saw the resemblance clear as day. He cared for the people he loved, and he was kind to everyone. Almost too kind. Luke was the last known Jedi, what would stop him if he ever decided to go down the dark path and follow his father's footsteps? She surely wouldn't be able to stop him. Not because she wasn't powerful, but the thought of having to strike down Luke was preposterous! She could never harm a sweet innocent boy. But then again, emotions weren't the way of the Jedi. And although she was not a Jedi anymore, her emotions for Anakin clouded her judgement and allowed Vader to strike her down. If it wasn't for Ezra, or Morai's help, she wouldn't be alive. Artoo brought Ahsoka out of thought as he rolled past her. He whistled at her, asking her what she thought of Luke. "What can I say", Ahsoka said looking up at Luke who was in conversation with Sabine. "He's a Skywalker".

* * *

"Come on, we both know Hera's the better pilot", Sabine argued as she and Luke were in conversation. "Sorry to break it to you Sabine, but Han has the fastest piece of junk out there, and he's also a better pilot. He never crashed the Falcon", Luke defended. Sabine rolled her eyes, "He definitely crashed that Falcon of his. YT-1300s are supposed to be sleek and elegant. Not whatever that piece of junk is supposed to be", Sabine stated firmly. "Han made the Kessel run in twelve parsecs. Hera could never do that", Luke argued back. "You're right Hera could never do that. Because it's impossible! There's no way the Falcon could accomplish that in it's current condition", Sabine pointed out. "Nothing is impossible, you just have to find your way through it", Luke stated firmly crossing his arms in the process.

"By the force! Will you two just break it up already!?", Ahsoka shouted in frustration as she sat on her chair playing holo-chess with Artoo. "Both ships are fast, both have good pilots, end of story", she stated as Artoo made his move. She frowned at the little astromech droid once her eyes were back on the game. "Ok you're definitely cheating", she said accusingly, "There's no way I made that move". Artoo gave her a snarky remark as he made another move. "I am not old!", Ahsoka yelled at him. "Artoo is always right", Luke called out not really understanding what Artoo had said. Ahsoka glared at Luke. Luke immediately realized his mistake. "But he can sometimes be wrong. He gets a lot of short circuits", he added sweating like crazy. A loud alarm blared through the entire shuttle. "I'm going to have to pull us out early", Sabine announced as she was at the controls. "What's wrong?", Luke asked as he went to help her. "Nothing really, just a bunch of debris in our path", she calmly stated. "Probably a bunch of asteroids, nothing to worry about", Ahsoka suggested. The _Jedi Finder_ came out of hyperspace the usual empty void of space was filled with debris. "Watch out!", Ahsoka yelled as Sabine maneuvered the shuttle out of the way. Barely missing a large chunk of flying metal, the underbelly of the _Jedi Finder_ was scratched by the another large piece of debris. Everyone fell forward, Artoo shrieked as he was tossed around. Luke got up as he went to steer the shuttle to safety. "There's a Star Destroyer at point o six!", he yelled out. Sabine and Ahsoka jolted back up. The Empire was here?

"Quick get us out of firing range!", Ahsoka commanded as she ran to the turrets. "Hold on", Sabine yelled. She was skeptical in how the Star Destroyer was holding. There was no visible light anywhere coming from the bridge. Usually one could see the lights like tiny dots. But here, it was completely dark. "Luke", Sabine said, "Try going around the Destroyer". Luke did as he was told, the _Jedi Finder_ soon went around the Destroyer. It dodged several material of floating debris as it oversaw the Star Destroyer. "Look", Sabine pointed out. Luke and Ahsoka peered through the cockpit window. The once threatening Star Destroyer revealed its dark hidden secret. A giant gapping hole in the center of the warship became visible as the T-6 shuttle flew pass it. The Warship was beyond salvageable, the engines have also been destroyed. The only thing remaining was the frame.

* * *

"Where are we?”, Ahsoka asked. “According to the nava computer, we’re in the Korriban system”, Sabine replied hitting a few buttons on the screen. "Has the Rebellion ever have reason to attack this place?”, Ahsoka asked profusely. "It wasn't on any of the Rebellion's hit list", Luke said as he continued to fly the shuttle. "We didn't even know that the Empire had a base here". The shuttle was stopped as it's wings were caught in something invisible. Unable to free itself, Luke desperately pulled the controls around like crazy. A bright spark emerged for only a second as the shuttle was freed from it's invisible grasp. "We must have hit some sort of terminal or generator", Luke pointed out. Ahsoka and Sabine said nothing as they watched in both fear and awe through the cockpit window. "Luke?", Ahsoka called out to him. Luke turned around to see what they were looking at. His eyes widen as he saw what floated before him. A massive super star destroyer, a design never seen before, came to life. It slowly revealed itself as the interior lights started to shine. The super star destroyer seemed to be trapped in time as half of it was still stuck under construction. The super star destroyer had a midnight black paint job, if it wasn't for the lights, it would've been nearly invisible. It appeared to be modified with a Death Star tech like ray installed at the front of the destroyer with several gravity wells displayed at the sides.

“What the hell is that!?", Sabine asked worriedly. "I don't really know", Luke stated, "But what ever it is, it's-".

"Cold", Ahsoka said finishing Luke's sentence. The shuttle suddenly stopped. It started tilting towards the abandoned super weapon. "Luke, why are getting closer, we're supposed to be heading towards the planet", Ahsoka stated. “This can't be possible!", Luke shouted in horror. Ahsoka and Sabine turned to stare at him, confused at his reaction. "We’re caught in a tractor beam!”, Luke said shutting down all power to the ship. Slowly, the T-6 shuttle was dragged into the large abandoned Destroyer. It's wings dragged along the hangar bay floor. Loud screeching metal echoed throughout the hangar bay as the _Jedi Finder_ was forced down by gravity. The lights inside the star destroyer immediately flickered off, welcoming it's prey to the cold darkness. Luke and Ahsoka grabbed their lightsabers, with Sabine grabbing her blasters. The hangar bay was eerily empty of Imperial ships. The only thing that filled the empty space were various non-imperial ship, but they were all abandoned. The place was now pitch black, the only thing illuminating the place was the light coming from Ahsoka's shuttle's engines.

“Ok, anyone else creeped out by this? An abandoned war ship with a working tractor beam?”, Sabine asked looking at the two force users. “We won’t be able to leave with that tractor beam still online”, Ahsoka replied, “Luke, you and Sabine head to the bridge. See if you can disable the tractor beam. Artoo and I will stay on the ship, and see if we can repair anything that got damaged”, she ordered. They agreed and headed out. Luke ignited his blade, the green hue lighting the area once engulfed in darkness. “Sabine”, Ahsoka called out. Sabine turned to look at her with a questionable look, "Try not to blow anything up", Ahsoka said winking. "That was one time, one time", Sabine argued before going after Luke.

* * *

Luke and Sabine walked in the empty hallways of the star destroyer. It took a while to walk, noting how large a super star destroyer was. There was no sign of life anywhere. Not even a single mouse droid was present. They walked through a bunch of old stormtrooper armor that was littered everywhere. And they also passed what seemed to be labs. Tired of seeing only black, Sabine got Ezra's old lightsaber out, igniting it in the process. "You know how to wield one?", Luke asked, noticing Sabine's unorthodox way of holding the saber. "I do actually, before the Rebellion actually became a military strong enough to go against the Empire, my former Ghost crew taught me how to wield the darksaber", she explained as she twirled the blade in her hand. "The darksaber?", Luke asked confused quickly dodging a cable that was swinging wildly. "The Darksaber is almost like a lightsaber. Except it had a black core, and it was really ancient. It was made by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi after the Jedi-Mandalorian war. After his death, a mandalorian known only as the Avenger, broke into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant when it was attacked. That mandalorian kept the saber as a symbol to unite all of Mandalore. Those that wield it, lead our people", Sabine continued as she sliced away some wires.

“So why don't you wield the saber now?", Luke asked. Sabine stopped in her tracks for a moment before looking down in shame. "I gave it to our true Mandalorian leader, Bo-Katan. Though after our people went to war with the Empire, the darksaber had been missing ever since, as well as Bo-Katan", Sabine told him sadly, as if trying to convince herself that something never happened. "What about you", she said suddenly changing the subject, "Didn’t you use to have a blue lightsaber? I remember that you had one with all those propaganda posters being displayed across the galaxy”, Sabine asked kicking a door open in the process. “I lost it after my first duel with Vader on Bespin. That’s also when I lost my hand”, Luke told her gesturing to his right hand. “Oh, so that's why you where a glove. I always wondered if it was a fashion trend from Tatooine. Do you know where it went?”, Sabine asked grabbing Luke’s hand and making him follow her down a dark hallway. “No, there are rumors that the Empire found it shortly after my defeat. Others say that some pirate named Hondo Ohnaka found it when he was searching through Bespin's trash compactor”, Luke said in shame, "Though I highly doubt that lightsaber still exist". Sabine kicked open a large door. The metal fell straight to the floor as it created a loud bang that rang through their ears.

“We are now on the Bridge", Sabine announced joyfully. "Come on, lets awaken this beast and deactivate that tractor beam”, she continued as she ran to the command deck to activate the emergency power. The lights flickered back to life and a soft vibration hummed as the large engines came to life. Luke followed suit and went to deactivate the tractor beam, but stopped when he saw the security footage in a nearby computer. He turned it on as a hologram was presented. _Guess I have to find out what happened_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

“ _This is Inquisitor Fifteen, daily log. The Eclipse is halfway complete. However, Director Krennic’s project 'Stardust' has taking too much of our equipment. With this being Emperor_ _Palpatine's_ _personal warship, I tried to make sure it is our top priority. However, Grand_ _Moff_ _Tarkin_ _specifically requested that we give up most of our_ _kyber_ _crystals. Either way, I've decided to move many of our test subjects into a more secure location. They've become a little... unstable_ ", a man in a black set or armor spoke out. He was about to continue, when an officer intervened. _"Sir! Several unidentifiable objects are coming out of hyperspace!",_ the officer yelled out in terror. Several Purgills suddenly came out of hyperspace, taking down several star destroyers that orbited with the _Eclipse_ in the process. _“Sir, these creatures, they have the Chimaera!",_ another officer yelled _. "Quickly, we must save the Grand Admiral, activate gravity wells, open fire and use lock on target ",_ the man in black armor yelled out. The _Eclipse_ slowly moved towards one of the creatures. _"Fire!"_ , the man in the armor commanded. A sudden green beam emerged from the front of the super star destroyer. Luke watched in horror as one the creatures was suddenly blown up. This caused a chain reaction with the other whales. They quickly went into hyperspace again, dropping a few star destroyers into orbit. But not the _Chimeara_. A star destroyer came crashing into the _Eclipse._ An explosion occured as the _Eclipse_ took damage to the now scattered debris. “ _Sir one of those destroyers hit our laboratory. The subject have gotten loose!",_ a maintenance worker yelled out as the alarms blared through the bridge. The man in black armor turned around in shock, _"What, no!_ _Everyone abandon ship! This is code red, everyone evacuate immediately!"_ , he commanded as he left the camera.

Luke watched in horror as strange humanoid creatures had made their way to the bridge. They started attacking everyone, ripping their limbs, their flesh were spread all over the floor, with blood spilling everywhere and screams were heard. But then Luke noticed something, the crew may have escaped, but those things were still on the ship. And they were on the ship. Suddenly, a blood hurtling scream filled the bridge. _Oh no,_ Luke panicked. “Sabine!”.


	8. The Undead

Chapter 7

Luke ran towards Sabine at full speed. Sabine was surrounded by creature that wore shredded stormtrooper armor. "Luke, I could really use your help here!", she yelled as the creatures kept dodging her blaster fire. Luke was shocked, these creatures somehow were still alive even after years had already passed since the _Eclipse's_ crew abandoned it. He activated his blade, cutting through all the strange creatures in one blow. "Thanks", she said lowering her guns as the last creature was struck down. "Did you managed to deactivate the tractor beam?", Luke asked swinging his blade defensively. "Yes, now lets get out of here", Sabine said rushing for the door. A hand suddenly grabbed Luke's foot. "What the-", Luke said startled. He look down, and the creatures he cut down earlier were still alive. The creatures started crawling towards Luke, their dark soulless eyes staring right at him. He was able to shake them off, following Sabine as they both ran out of the bridge. They passed several hallways, and the scattered pieces of armor that littered the labs. However, they preferred to still think that the armor were still laying on the floor abandoned, and not rising up from the ground. Sabine managed to get her comlink out as she ran through the mazes of hallways. "Ahsoka. Ahsoka come in!", she cried out. There was no response, only static. This made her worried, what if these creatures already got her?

* * *

In the hangar bay, Ahsoka and Artoo were busy fixing the scrapes the _Jedi Finder_ had received from its rough entrance.The hangar bay's lights relight, exposing Ahsoka and Artoo to the white dim lights. "Looks like they got the power back on", Ahsoka said from under the T-6's wing. "That should do it Artooie", Ahsoka grunted out as she tightened the last bolt. Artoo welded together any lose metal that have been chipped off. "Let's bring this baby back to life", Ahsoka said in relief getting out from under the shuttle's wing. She was about to reactive the engines, when she suddenly heard footsteps around her. She quickly turned to see no one. "Luke? Sabine? Is that you", she asked the empty hangar bay. Her voice echoed, consuming the silence that laid within. Artoo rolled to her side, chirping his analysis of the damaged that was fixed. A shadow suddenly moved from the far corner of the hangar, away from the reach of the light. "Sabine?", Ahsoka asked. "Sabine if this is you, this isn't funny. And Luke, I swear by the force, that if you are joining one of Sabine's pranks, I'll kick your ass", Ahsoka yelled angrily at the figure still hiding in the shadow.

Suddenly, her comlink went off. She grabbed it before the annoying beeping continued, still looking at the figure hiding in the shadow. "Sabine, what is the meaning of this prank", Ahsoka said not really in the mood. But she was met with static. Pure loud static, as if the comlinks were being jammed. Her eyes gazed to see the figure she thought was either Sabine or Luke. But her blood turned cold, there was now three figures standing, still hiding in the shadow. Three unknown figures just standing there looking straight at her. "Who are you", Ahsoka demanded. She quickly ignited her twin lightsabers, their white aurora illuminating her surroundings. And though the light barely reach to where the figures stood, Ahsoka was able to see white armor. Those of a stormtrooper. Before Ahsoka could speak again, the stormtrooper rained fire on her. Artoo quickly rolled to the safety of the shuttle. Ahsoka deflected each blaster bolt towards each trooper, hitting them instantly. They all fell to the ground almost instantly. Ahsoka deactivated her blades, thinking that was the last of it. Surely if there were people still here she would be able to feel their presence, right? Artoo came out of the shuttle, this time visibly shaken. The two slowly approached the three corpses, Ahsoka was able to see the stormtrooper armor clearly now. But something felt off. The armor had severe damage in parts where Ahsoka clearly remembered the reflected blasters didn't hit.

She examined one of the corpse. And that's when she immediately noticed something was wrong. The trooper's skin was a dark olive green, not natural for an army consisting of only humans, with flesh and bones sticking out. It smelled rotten, and its eyes were rolled back. Just then the corpse lunged at Ahsoka, catching her off guard. She was able to strike it down with one of her lightsabers in time. "Artoo head back to the ship!", she yelled at Artoo who made a run for it as Ahsoka noticed all three dead corpses getting back up, including the one she just struck down.

* * *

Luke and Sabine were now sneaking past the undead imperials that patrolled the ship, about 50 or so in total. They realized that these undead creatures were intelligent. They were organized, and precise. Almost as capable as any high ranking officers. "We're almost at the hangar bay", Sabine whispered to Luke. Once they entered the hangar bay, they could see the figure of Ahsoka trying to cut down the attacking creatures in stormtrooper armor, with no luck. They slowly, but surely, reached the entrance to the hangar bay, still trying to avoid what ever the creatures wearing imperial outfits were. They had a clear path now. Luke gestured to Sabine to go first, and that he'll be right behind her. Sabine nodded and ran towards the shuttle, shooting a few troopers that were heading for Ahsoka's blind spot. Ahsoka quickly turned to the direction of Sabine, she instantly became relieved. "There you are, I was wondering where you were", Ahsoka said as she force pushed a couple of creatures into each other. "We met a couple of friends", Sabine said sarcastically shooting another stormtrooper, "I'm starting to think they don't like us".

Ahsoka chuckled at Sabine's intent to lighten the mood, but she started to worry. "Sabine, where's Luke?", she asked trying not to panic. Sabine gave her a confused look, "What are talking about? He's right behind...me", Sabine turned to look behind her, and Luke was no where to be found. In fact, it seemed that Luke was never really there in the first place. Ahsoka grabbed Sabine, making her face the worried Togruta. "Where is he?", Ahsoka said raising her voice. "I don't know. He was right behind me, I swear!", Sabine responded trying to calm Ahsoka down. Ahsoka looked everywhere, but she only saw the creatures surrounding the shuttle. She suddenly stopped, in the middle of the hangar was Luke, some of the creatures started to surround him. He fought them off as they blindly attacked the Jedi. Luke let out a scream as one of the creatures bit his hand. "No!", Ahsoka shouted as she tried to run to him. But the creatures kept pushing Ahsoka and Sabine back into their shuttle. Ahsoka watched helplessly as the creatures all started piling up on Luke who was now on the floor. That's when he got up. A creature still held onto his hand. Luke tossed the creature aside, not caring if it yelped in pain. His glove was now torn, and his prosthetic hand was now exposed. The skin had been ripped away from the bite, so the only thing left was metal. Luke ran towards the _Jedi Finder_ in full speed. Ahsoka quickly lifted the shuttle up so that Luke could jump in. The _Jedi Finder_ roared to life as it gained altitude, awaiting for the Jedi below. But Luke stopped in his tracks. "Wait", Sabine said shaking Ahsoka's arm. "He stopped". Ahsoka peered through the small cockpit window. Why did he stop?

A chill ran down Ahsoka's spine as she felt Luke's aurora. It was no longer a warm light. Instead, it was replaced with a cold dark shadow. She could feel the pain, the hatred, the fear all radiating off of Luke. Before she could land the shuttle and try to stop Luke from using the darkside, he force pushed them of the _Eclipse_. The _Jedi Finder_ spun like crazy as it was freed from the abandoned warship's grasp. Ahsoka and Sabine watched as Luke was surrounded by the undead stormtroopers. Luke let out a battle cry as he used the force to crush the hangar bay. His eyes glowed yellow as chunks started to lift into the air. The undead stormtroopers were confused on what was happening around them. Metal screech as it was being ripped apart. From outside, Ahsoka and Sabine could see the exterior hull collapsing within itself. "Woah", Sabine said in astonishment. She faced Ahsoka who was still watching the "I didn't know a Jedi could do that", she admitted. "They can't", Ahsoka responded coldly.

The hangar bay suddenly exploded as it could no longer contain the pressure. The shields were automatically disabled, sending everyone in the hangar bay out to the vacuum of space. The undead mob screamed and hollered as they were quickly consumed by the nearby star's radiation. "There he is!", Sabine shouted pointing at the silhouette of Luke floating through space. Ahsoka quickly brought the _Jedi Finder_ towards him. She opened the hatched door for Sabine to go grab him. If they were too slow, he would die. And Ahsoka couldn't have another Skywalker be killed. She had already lost so much. She used to the force to grab Luke and drag him to Sabine's arms. With Sabine being the only one able to breathe in outer space, thanks to her helmet, it was up to her to save him. "Got him!", Sabine shouted as she rushed back in with Luke held tightly around her arms. Ahsoka rushed to Luke's side. "He's okay. He just passed out", Sabine confirmed placing a respirator mask to give oxygen to the unconscious man. They carried him onto the small medical room aboard their ship. Ahsoka tried not to stir as the respirator reminded her of Vader's breathing.

* * *

"What do we do now Ahsoka?", Sabine asked the older Togruta. Ahsoka opened her mouth to speak when a loud vibration shook the _Jedi Finder_ like crazy. Artoo let out a shriek as he came rushing in. "What's wrong Artooie?", Ashoka asked already stressed out on Luke's wellbeing. Artoo quickly explained that the _Eclipse_ was moving positions. "Did you change anything on its nav computer?", Ahsoka asked turning to see the colorful Mandalorian. Sabine only shook her head. "Then where the hell is that ship going?", Ahsoka muttered to herself. The half built _Eclipse_ moved past the _Jedi Finder_ at full speed. It's bright blue engines glowed in the black sky. The _Eclipse_ moved away from the debris field before jumping into hyperspace. Leaving the small T-6 shuttle in its wake. It was quiet for a moment before Ahsoka spoke up. "Here's what we're going to do. We continue with our journey. We are already at Korriban. When we land, we go and find shelter. Until Luke wakes up, of course. Then we get what we came for, I doubt Ezra is here. But if there is something leading to our next path, then so be it. We'll head onto the next planet until we find him", Ahsoka stated before walking to her room, leaving Sabine and Artoo to deal with Luke.

* * *

Ahsoka went into her room to meditate. She locked her door and activated the sound proof barrier. She then threw her blades to the ground as she sat on her knees, cursing at everyone in her life. She was angry at Luke for using the dark side, but deep down she was proud, she didn't know why. She felt Luke's aurora throught the force. The darkness was now replaced by the same warm light she had sense in him when they first met. It seemed that he could control his emotion well. But so did Anakin. And look at how he turned out. "We're beginning our decent", Sabine said over the coms. Ahsoka grew worried, they were heading into the home world of the sith, a planet strong with the darkside. Was this a good idea? _Lets hope nothing goes wrong,_ Ahsoka thought to herself before closing her eyes.. 


	9. Shadows are Falling

Chapter 8

Luke opened his eyes, his entire body ached in pain. His eyes lingered around the room, until he saw the familiar chrome dome head of Artoo. "Hey there buddy", Luke said in a raspy voice. He slowly got up from the bed, detaching the respirator from himself. "How long was I out", Luke asked as he noticed how dirty and beat up he looked. Artoo gave a beep as he rolled a bag to him. "That long huh?", Luke amusingly asked. He grabbed the bag that Artoo was holding, opening to see its content. Luke's custom robes met his gaze, Leia gave it to him as a last minute gift before he exiled himself from the New Republic. It was a full light beige tunic outfit, with only a light tan line meeting each other in the middle. It included a brown leather belt, finished with a silver buckle. The boots and pants were also beige, and a brown leather glove for his prosthetic hand. And the outer robes were a dark tan color, almost a hazelnut shade. "Not bad", Luke said to himself. He started taking his clothes off, casting them aside. He started putting on his jedi robes.

One by one since his body still ached in pain. Once he was fully clothed, he went to grab his glove when the door opened. Sabine, who was holding a tray of food, walked in. "Oh, your finally awake", she said putting the tray of food next to him. "You sound disappointed", Luke lightly joked. "Well I was going to paint your hair a bright pink if you didn't wake up soon enough", she responded smirking as she reached for his hair, "Its been a while since I've pranked someone. And that blonde hair...". Luke automatically dodged her hand, "Well it's a good thing I woke up then", he said in relief. Sabine turned to the door, leaving the food tray. "Oh, by the way, Ahsoka would like to speak to you outside", she said. "Outside? Are we still in the star destroyer?", Luke asked reaching for the food. "No, we're on Korriban. That star destroyer is now gone", Sabine simply responded. "Gone?", Luke asked giving her a puzzling look. "Yeah, once we left the hangar bay it just jumped into hyperspace. Which is weird. But now, its lost forever", Sabine said shrugging before she left the room. Luke stayed there, thinking over what she just said. A massive super star destroyer that had connections to the Emperor himself had simply vanished into wild space could not be a coincidence. He would have to talk to Leia about it later when they meet again. But right now Ahsoka wanted to speak to him. "Hopefully its not about what happened earlier", Luke mumbled to himself.

* * *

Ahsoka was meditating, a couple of rocks floating in the air. She felt Luke's presence coming closer to her. "You wished to speak to me?", Luke asked her as he limped towards her. "Please, sit down and join me in my meditation", the Togruta said to him in a monotone manner. Luke did as he was told and joined her in mediation. More rocks started floating in the air as Luke meditated, with boulders also starting to float, though they had difficulty getting up to the air. "Now Luke, do you know why I wished to speak to you?", Ahsoka asked the young man. Luke hesitated for a bit, but then he answered truthfully, "Its about me. Isn't it? About me using the darkside to defeat the undead".

"Good. So you know why I summoned you", Ahsoka simply stated, "Luke, why did you the darkside? Many Jedi in the past have used several darkside techniques and they all eventually fell to the dark side. So tell me, how did you reject an act so deep in the dark side, yet still be in the light?", Ahsoka asked him opening her eyes to stare at the young man. Luke hesitated again, he open his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. "I've learned to accept the darkness within me. Not fear it", he finally said. Ahsoka frowned. "Luke, you don't understand what you're doing. I've seen what you have in that bag of yours. It's not safe. The darkside is not something to play with".

"You think I don't know that?", Luke raised his voice at her as he opened his eyes to glare at the Togrutan, "I know the immense power the darkside can have, from experience. I know the damage it can cause, the horrors. But that doesn't mean I'm allowed to ignore it".

"Ignore it? Luke! What are you talking about? You just used force rage aboard that warship! Many don't recover from it. You should avoid it at all cost", Ahsoka argued. Luke shook his head, surely the ex-jedi could see that one can summoned the darkside without being consumed by it. "Ahsoka, you don't understand", Luke suddenly said, "You, out of all people should know that using one ability doesn't turn you to the darkside. Stop trying to ignore your emotions, you know it's true". Ahsoka immediately stood up, she hoped he could understand. "Luke, emotions bring out the worst of us. That is why you shouldn't rely on them". Luke rolled his eyes, "Ahsoka, it was love that brought my father back. You can't possibly say that all emotions are bad", he pointed out. "I lost your father to the dark side. I couldn't save him. And it was my emotions that led to my defeat. And now that you're using the darkside... ", Ahsoka stopped as she wiped a tear, "It would kill me if I can't save you from the same fate as your father. If you turn, there is no stopping you. You'll become worse then Vader and the Emperor combined", Ahsoka said raising her voice and tears filling her eyes. "Ahsoka I-" Luke tried reasoning but was cut off. "I was a fool for not seeing it", Ahsoka interrupted him. Luke looked at her confused. Ahsoka looked at and back to the ground. "You're just like Vader", Ahsoka claimed before dashing to the _Jedi Finder_. Leaving Luke alone in the dark.

Luke let out a huff. He knew how she thought, she was still in the old teachings of the Jedi. To fear emotions, that they lead to the darkside. But Luke would have to follow her words, for now. Even though he fully disagreed with her, she was wiser than him. And he would respect that. But he needed to be more careful, Ahsoka stormed off because of what he did. And he knew what Sabine felt as well, she may hide it well but he could still feel her emotions. They were the same as Ahsoka's fear radiating from the two women aboard the shuttle. But Luke couldn't help but think over Ahsoka's words. _"You're just like Vader"_ , her words haunted him. Luke let out a deep sigh, he needed to fix this. But right now he'll give them space. Luke called out to the force, and an orange holocron came floating to him. Grabbing it, he closed his eyes to open it. A hooded figure was displayed, " _What is your wish young one?",_ it asked. "Teach me how to locate the starmap on Korriban", Luke replied. " _Ah, following my steps I see. Then it will be a while",_ the figure said, " _Let us proceed"._

* * *

Ahsoka couldn't believe what just happened. She was crying over someone that she barely knew. This was very embarrassing, especially since she cried in front of Luke Skywalker, the last living jedi knight. She entered her room, trying not to wake Sabine up. Since Luke joined their expedition, Sabine had to move in with her because that was the only room available. And also, Sabine was still scared of Luke, not as much as when they first met but he was still a mystery to them. Ahsoka moved to her be. _Maybe if I sleep this off it'll all be better_ , Ahsoka reassured herself. She tried to sleep, but she could feel everything in the force. The calmness coming from Sabine, the guilt and shame radiating from Luke, the dark presence in the corner of her room. Wait, what? Ahsoka quickly got up to see if she could spot the presence standing in her room. She didn't see anything, but she felt it. That was when she heard it, the mechanical breathing. No it was more like wheezing. " _Ahsoka_ ", the mixed voice of a man and a voice adapter said calmly. Ahsoka tried to ignore it, it could've been her imagination. " _Ahsoka_ ", the voice said again. This time much clearer, it was the voice of the man. Her fallen master, Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin Skywalker in the form of an injured Vader, he still looked the same as she last saw him on Malachor. Ahsoka ignited her twin blades, how was this possible? Wasn't Vader dead when Anakin had killed the Emperor? That's what Luke had told her, unless Luke was lying. "How are you still Vader", Ahsoka managed to say with tears threatening to fall. This had to be a nightmare, it couldn't be real. " _You are in the homeworld of the sith. A jedi's force ghost can't be here. But I can, I have learned to balance myself beyond the physical realm. So I'll always be here to remind my son what would happen if he ever fell_ ", Anakin explained. " _What are you doing here Snips?",_ he asked his former apprentice. Ahsoka glared at him, how dare he call her by her old nickname, as if their still friends for years. When the last time they met he tried to kill her. "Wouldn't you like to know, Vader", Ahsoka said gritting her teeth. Anakin was surprised by her reaction, but he understood. He did try to kill her when he was a sith.

"Ahsoka, I am no longer Vader. Didn't Luke tell you?", Anakin asked slowly getting closer to the Togruta. "Why should I believe him? Why should I believe you? And you Skywalkers have caused me more pain than anything else. So you tell me Vader, if what Luke said what happened, happened, than why couldn't I redeem you! Didn't I mean something to you!?", Ahsoka yelled not caring if she woke Sabine or if her yelling could be heard from the outside. "Was I not good enough for you!? What did Luke have that I didn't!?", she continued moving her blades closer to the ghostly figure of Anakin. Anakin stayed silent, his visible eye having the look of remorse, and conflict. How could he explain to her how lost he felt in being manipulated into believing everyone he knew betrayed him, and only the hope and love was the offspring he thought was long dead broke him from Sidious's grasp. His silence must have given her the wrong idea, as she trembled in anger. " _Ahsoka, it's not what you think. It's more complicated to explain_ ", Anakin tried to explain but was cut off by Ahsoka, literally. Ahsoka slashed her white lightsabers across Anakin, going through him and hitting the wall behind him. "Get out!", Ahsoka yelled out, "I don't want to hear from you ever again!", she continued. Her cold blue eyes staring at the ghostly white of her former master. " _Snips_ ", Anakin tried to speak up, but he was cut off again. "Don't call me that, we're no longer friends. I'll never forgive you", Ahsoka declared as she gasped for air, "Get out, and leave me alone, for good". Anakin stared at his old padawan break down in tears, he wanted to help her. But she wouldn't be ready to fully forgive him. This broke his heart, Luke was the only one still alive that fully forgave him. Leia reacted the same as Ahsoka when he appeared to her before his grandson was born. Even the force itself took it's time to forgive him. Only time could heal the wounds that he caused. With one last look Anakin whispered, " _I'm sorry. I'm truly am_ ", before vanishing into thin air.

* * *

Ahsoka stayed on the floor crying. First Luke, now Anakin, did the force just want to torment her? There was an uncomfortable shift as Sabine woke up to see the view of the Togruta crying on the floor. She instantly got up and ran towards her side. "Ahsoka, what's wrong?". Through tears, Ahsoka let go of all the demons she had held for years. The fear of losing Luke the same way as his father. Even though Luke told her not to tell Sabine that he and Vader were related, Ahsoka still told her everything. She couldn't help it, she just let it all go. Sabine just hugged her and remain silent, listening to Ahsoka expressing herself. The two just stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Ahsoka had finally calmed down a bit, “Sorry about intruding your sleep Sabine. It was selfish of me to do that”, she said in a low voice. “Hey, it's okay”, Sabine reassured her rubbing Ahsoka's back with her hand. “You get some rest. I’ll go talk to Luke”, Sabine said as she got up and left the Togruta in the dark. " _Mmm, the padawan. Conflicted, she is_ ", an old voice echoed in her head. "Master Yoda?", Ahsoka asked as she tried to see where the old grandmaster was. " _Ahsoka, missed you, have I"_ , Yoda said. "Where are you? Why can't I see you", Ahsoka questioned the voice of Yoda. _"Listen to your old master, did you not?"_ , Yoda said while chuckling. "I want nothing to do with Vader", Ahsoka said defending herself and not wanting to re-experience the chat she had with Anakin. _"Oh, still calling him Vader are you?"_ , Yoda asked. Ahsoka stayed quiet, how could Yoda forgive him when he killed hundred of jedi even before he got into the black mechanical suit. "He is still Vader, he killed many of my friends. He tried to kill me", Ahsoka said as she tried to get on her bed. _"Vader, died he had. Did many bad things, terrible things. But Skywalker, yes, Luke Skywalker saw the good in him. Even when we didn't. Brought back his father, he did. Anakin killed Darth Sidious, not Vader",_ Yoda said in a more serious tone.

"How did you do it?", Ahsoka asked him, "How can you forgive him for all the things he did". The room got quiet as if Yoda suddenly disappeared. But the voice came back, except it wasn't Yoda this time _. "You must learn to forgive him Ahsoka. As I have",_ the voice of Obi-wan Kenobi spoke. "Master Kenobi?", Ahsoka asked his voice was very different than the time she last heard it, more serious and filled with wisdom instead of the jokester he used to be during the Clone Wars. " _Ahsoka, you must forgive Anakin for what he did in the past_ ", Kenobi repeated. Ahsoka simply shook her head, "I- I can't", she said looking down. _"We understand Ahsoka. It is hard, and it will take time. But right now we need you to help the last jedi",_ Kenobi said softly.

Ahsoka stayed quiet, how can she help Luke? He seemed to be in control, why couldn't they just talk to him. Let her live in peace. "He’s using the darkside", Ahsoka confessed to Obi-wan and Yoda. "I’m scared, what if he falls? I am not strong enough to stop him, and I can’t lose another Skywalker!”, Ahsoka said sadly. " _Rejected the darkside many times before, he has. Emotions leading to the dsrkside , wrong I was"_ , Yoda spoke up, " _One must accept their darkness, and make peace with it. Never fear it_ ". Ahsoka stayed silent, still trying to progress what Yoda said. "So it's alright to have certain emotions?", Ahsoka asked puzzled. _"As long as you are ready to let go of the ones you love, then yes_ ”, Obi-wan explained, " _We were wrong about a great many things Ahsoka. But Luke is meant to set things right. It was love and compassion that saved Vader. With your help, the both of you can bring the Jedi Order up from it's ashes"._ With this Ahsoka got up, in better spirit than how she entered her room. "You're right, he has me . And I won't leave him, no matter what", Ahsoka stated. " _Tell us, do not. Tell him, you must"_ , Yoda said. "I will masters, thank you", Ahsoka said smiling. " _The force will be with you Ahsoka, always_ ", Obi-wan said before his and Yoda's presence left the room. Ahsoka took a deep breathe, if she was to confront Luke again, she needed to be calm. So she closed her eyes and started meditating once more.

* * *

Luke and Sabine were walking back to the shuttle deep in discussion. Luke told her how they could find the next piece in a sith tomb, not far from the old sith temple. Sabine told him what happened with Ahsoka and that she knew his secret. Luke reassured her that family doesn't determine who you are, it was an individual's choice that determined their destiny. The two were now at the ramp when Ahsoka walked out. Luke stopped in his tracks, a visible discomfort in his eyes. The tension was very thick, for both him and the Togruta. "Ahsoka”, Luke said finally ending the awkward silence. “Luke”, Ahsoka simply responded. “I’m sorry”, Luke said looking down to his feet. “I know you are”, Ahsoka said smiling. Luke looked up confused, before being met with a tight hug from Ahsoka. "Luke", Ahsoka said to his ear, "I won't leave you, not this time".


	10. Trip to the Imperial Village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Big thanks to, the core of justice (on Fanfiction.net), for helping me create this new character and help create this chapter

Chapter 9

"So here's the plan", Luke began as Artoo displayed a map. "Artoo and I found a small village consisting of surviving imperials. They somehow survived the initial attack aboard the _Eclipse_. The valley of the Dark Lords of the Sith lies beyond the village. All we have to do is wear disguises and simply walk through them", Luke instructed. "Ok, we can go in disguises. But I am not leaving my armor behind, especially with imps running around", Sabine stated. Ahsoka and Luke rolled their eyes, Sabine started going on a rant saying how as a Mandalorian she must keep never give up her armor, because...traditions. "Alright, I had enough" Luke mumbled to himself as Sabine kept ranting on. Luke waved his hand in front of Sabine, in doing so Sabine immediately stopped and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Luke!", Ahsoka yelled glaring at him. "What? Its either listen to a speech about mandalorian armor for another half hour, or actually do something", Luke said defending his actions. Ahsoka simply growled asking what his plan on disguises were for the colorful passed out mandalorian. "You strip off her armor, and then hand it to me to paint it in a color that doesn't scream Sabine Wren to imperials", Luke explained. "I'm also going to need your armor. Can't have someone with bright colors blinding us", he added. "What are you planning?", Ashoka asked narrowing her eyes at the young Skywalker. "It's a surprise, don't worry. We'll fit right in", Luke simply said.

* * *

Sabine woke up to darkness. She was on her bed, or at least one of the beds in her shared room with Ahsoka. "Ahsoka?", she whispered. She got responded by a couple of snores, Ahsoka was sleeping. Not wanting to wake her up, Sabine headed to the cockpit. Everything was pitch black, even Luke's room. Weird. He was always playing around with the holocrons he had collected in the middle of the night. Sabine sat in the pilot seat, gazing at the stars that hovered around. She noticed that a small imperial probe droid was hovering above her. "What the-", she managed to say before the small droid instantly retreated.

Sabine got up and ran after it. But by the time she got out of the _Jedi Finder,_ it was gone. Had the imperials found them? It took Luke at least two hours just to get near the village. Were they in danger now? Without even thinking she burst through her room, waking Ahsoka completely. "Ahsoka, wake up!", Sabine yelled. Ahsoka stirred, before she got up. "What? Sabine why did you just wake me?", Ahsoka asked tiredness in her voice. "We've been found!", Sabine managed to say before heading to Luke's room. She banged on the door multiple times, maybe even denting the metal when Luke finally woke up. "Sabine what's the matter with you?", Luke asked rubbing his eyes. "They found us", Sabine simply stated. Suddenly, there was banging and hollering outside of the _Jedi Finder's_ hull. Ahsoka immediately grabbed the two and went into Luke's room. There was a secret compartment under Artoo's charging station with enough space for the three of them. But Luke stopped midway, "Wait, we should quickly put our armor on. our disguises can fool the imperials". The two women nodded, grabbing their respected armor. When Sabine got her's, she wanted to scream as to why Luke painted it a midnight black with crimson red and dark gray, but she simply glared at him. But Luke wasn't paying attention to her, he was busy putting on his own disguise which had the same color as her armor and a large black cape. Even Ahsoka's armor was changed to these dark colors. Sabine quickly put her helmet on. Ahsoka simply had a black hood covering her face. And Luke, well nothing changed for Luke, simply his outfit. When they finished changing, Ahsoka was just looking at herself in the mirror. " I look like a sith lord with all this black, red, and grey. And it's a bit tight". Ahsoka said as she tried to adjust her outfit. "But we'll fit right in Ahsoka. Since we look like sith or at least those inquisitors you told me about, the imperials in the village will hopefully let us pass", Luke reassured her before commenting, "Sabine is the one that's dressed as a bounty hunter". Sabine just crossed her arms and pouted, "Well I don't like this change. It doesn't represent me". Ahsoka just rolled her eyes, "That's the whole point Sabine".

Loud footsteps came through, Luke's door busted open, revealing a few squads of Stormtroopers. The Stormtroopers raised their guns, pointing at the group, "Who the hell are you?", the commander said. Luke stepped between the stormtroopers and his group, "My name is Lucas Eorgge. These are my companions, Mira Oitt, and Tah'na Ti, with my droid R2-D8", Luke said smiling. Having spent most of his time with a smuggler and rebel spies, he got better at telling lies. At least he hoped he did. "Imperials?", the commander simply asked, still pointing the gun at Luke's face. "Yes. I am the right hand of Lord Vader. Tah'na is Vader's commander, despite of her alien appearance she is highly respected by Vader's fist. And Mira is a bounty hunter, she swore allegiance with the Empire", Luke replied still holding his gaze at the commander. The commander hesitated before lowering his gun. His troops did the same. "So what are you doing here at this abandon place?", the commander asked. "We came to collect artifacts from the Valley of the Dark Lords for the Emperor. We request to pass through your village to enter", Ahsoka suddenly said. "I'm sorry, but we can't let you in", the commander replied, "Our leader doesn't permit anyone to enter that area". Luke stayed silent thinking on what he should do next. Guess I'll play dirty, Luke thought to himself. Using the force, he started chocking every stormtrooper, including the commander. "I find your lack of wisdom, disturbing", Luke said in a cold voice, "You'll bring me and my crew to meet with your leader. We must have an awaited discussion", he said setting the Commander down. "As you wish, Lord Eorgge", the commander managed to say. Luke let them all go, while the commander directed them to the village to speak to their leader. "I told you this would work", Luke whispered to Ahsoka as they headed towards the refurbished speeders. Ahsoka simply chuckled at Luke's response. It had work, now the hard part. Convince their leader to let them pass.

* * *

Luke, Ahsoka and Sabine finally arrived at the village. The village was filled with nasty imperials. Most were drinking, while others were blasting holographic pictures of old rebels and rebel propaganda. "This way", the commander said pointing to a big hut in the middle of the village. As they entered, they were met with several Death Troopers. "Eh, don't worry these are just the guards", the commander reassured them. The troopers let them in, there sat a hooded man in a small throne. Stormtrooper helmets were proudly displayed on the back side of the walls. "Sir, they are from the Empire. They wish to speak to you", the commander said. "Leave us", the hooded man said raising one of his hands to silence the commander. The commander simply bowed then left.

* * *

"Greetings, exalted one . My name is L-", Luke started to say before being cut off by the hooded man. "Do you take me as a fool?", the hooded man asked, "You wish to enter the valley. Something I will not permit". Luke stayed silent, before trying to speak again, "We only wish to enter. We are just historians for the Emperor. If you do not obey the Emperor's request, you will be punished", Luke threatened. The hooded man simply laughed, "You can't fool me boy. The Emperor is dead. I have sensed his death almost two years ago. The Empire has been destroyed. And you three are not imperials, even with your disguises, no you're a couple of rebel scums", the hooded man said getting up from his throne. Luke instinctively went to grabbed his lightsaber, when Ahsoka stopped him. Shaking her head to tell Luke not to attack. The hooded man noticed Luke's reaction, "Hmm, a jedi whose first instinct is to attack. You are reckless", the hooded man stated. "You know the way of the jedi?", Ahsoka asked the hooded man. The hooded man seemed to be surprised, "That voice. It reminds me of someone that I once knew a long time ago", he said completely ignoring Ahsoka's question. The man slowly walked towards her, "Take off your hood", he commanded. Ahsoka hesitated, but she took her hood of requested. The man came closer, "It...It can't be. Ahsoka Tano?", Ahsoka hesitated. It was most likely a trick, yet how did this man know her?

"You know who I am, but I don't you", she barked. The man was surprised by her sudden reaction, "Surely you'd remember a handsome face like my own", he said removing his hood. Ahsoka stood there shell shocked. Before her was a man, similar to her age. He was bald, and had dark brown skin reflecting the light around his head. He was tall, and physically built. _It couldn't be, could it?_ , Ahsoka thought herself. "Zyon?", she asked. The man laughed, "In the flesh!". Ahsoka couldn't believe it. Her old friend was still alive. Ahsoka hugged him really tightly, "You're alive! But how? Last we met was before my trail!!? And I thought you died during order 66!", Ahsoka and Zyon just kept smiling until they were interrupted by a fake cough. The two looked over at Luke and Sabine who stood there awkwardly with each other. "Mind introducing us to your boyfriend Ahsoka?", Sabine joked awkwardly. Ahsoka only glared at her before introducing him, "This is my old friend Zyon. He taught me how to wield my lightsabers correctly when I was a youngling at the old jedi order. Zyon meet my friend Luke Skywalker and my companion Sabine Wren", Ahsoka said smirking at Sabine. "Hey, we're friends. Don't let a little teasing end our relationship". Ahsoka simply rolled her eyes at Sabine's comment.

"Skywalker? Are you somehow related Anakin Skywalker", Zyon asked still clinched to Ahsoka. "Anakin Skywalker is my father", Luke said as he glared at Zyon waiting for the man to let go of Ahsoka. "That explains why you are so...uncontrollable", Zyon mumbled to himself, but loud enough for Luke and Ahsoka to hear. Luke didn't say anything, but he told Ahsoka through the force that they are wasting valuable time on this scumbag. "Say, Zyon why are you here leading an imperial village?", Ahsoka said with suspicion in her voice separating herself from the man. Zyon hesitated. Clearly he was hiding something from them, at least from Luke's point of view. "I was captured by the Empire shortly after the Republic fell. I was a prisoner aboard that huge star destroyer named the Eclipse. It was Emperor Palpatine's personal flagship. I was to be tested on for experiments, the same with other force sensitive before they delivered us to Mustafar. Then something happened, and we were hurled here onto this planet. Everyone was panicking, but I offered to lead them, to let them all survive. They hesitated, since I was a jedi. But soon they all accepted me as their own, and now I live here. A simple farmer. Guarding the sith valley, to make sure no one tries to enter", he explained. "Farming? A man like you", Ahsoka asked sarcastically. "It's a peaceful life", Zyon replied. "With all due respect, sir, we need to pass into the valley", Sabine interrupted, "We're on a mission to find my friend", she said hoping that the man would let them pass..

"I cannot permit you. The dark side is very strong there. And I don't trust him", Zyon said with emphasis on the word _him_ , pointing to Luke. Luke simply frowned, he didn't have time for this. All he wanted was to get to the first jedi temple, and to get there he needed the next clue that was in one of the Sith Tombs. "Its alright Zyon. I'm watching over him. His goal is to rebuild the jedi order", Ahsoka said defending Luke. Zyon stayed still, going over Ahsoka's words. "Alright. You guys may enter the valley. But I must warn you, there are savages out there. Be careful", Zyon finally said.

"Thank you Zyon", Ahsoka said before hugging him. Sabine and Luke went straight for the exit. Because, in Sabine words, "Let's get out of here before the old couple talks for more hours", in which Luke simply replied with a small chuckle. Before Ahsoka went after them, she turned to Zyon, "You know Zyon, when we get back you can rejoin the order. We'll gladly have you as a jedi again", she said to him with hope in her voice. "Nah, I've put up my lightsaber for a long time now Ahsoka. I rather much stay here than rejoin the Jedi Order again", Zyon replied. Ahsoka simply nodded, she knows how it's like in his shoes not wanting to rejoin the order. "Then I guess this is goodbye for now, huh?", Ahsoka said sadly. "For now", he reassured her. Zyon watched the trio walk deeper into the path towards the valley. Luke turned back to stare at him, in which Zyon did the same. The two continued to stare at each other until the distant voice of Ahsoka called for Luke. He turned back around, cautious of his surroundings. No one could know his secret, not even his so called 'friend'. When they were out of hearing range, Zyon pulled out his comlink. "Commander", he said before smiling, "Tell the Knights of Ren to meet at my location, we have a key".


	11. Visions & Trials

Chapter 10

“Well… we’re here", Luke announced as he set his compass aside. “The tomb of Marka Ragnos". The trio were standing near the entrance of the tomb, it was mostly ruins now, along with everything else surrounding it. “Now how do we get in?”, Ahsoka asked. “Maybe you can open it up with the force? Just like how Ezra and Kanan use to do on lothal?”, Sabine suggested. Ahsoka only shook her head, “That wouldn’t work. We aren’t sith, and this tomb seems to open without the force", she said observing the entrance . Luke looked at the direction where Ahsoka was staring at. And there was, what seemed to be an old worn out button. Luke stretched out his hand and pressed the button.The huge ancient door opened up, creating a loud groaned as it opened. No light entered the giant tomb, it was pure darkness. “Who goes first?”, Luke said turning to Ahsoka and Sabine. Sabine turned to Ahsoka, who quickly looked back to Luke, “You brought us here Luke, you enter first", she quickly said. Luke raised his brow unimpressed. He turned back to the tomb igniting his lightsaber. He slowly enters, with Artoo behind him chirping a whine. “I know Artoo, it’s pretty scaring. Just stay close", Luke said to his little droid. Ahsoka and Sabine quickly followed Luke. His green blade illuminating the surrounding room they entered. "Alright, Ahsoka. You and Sabine go search for a holocron, while Artoo and I look for the map", Luke commanded. There seemed two paths, however, they both led to dead ends. “Great, a dead end. I was sure this was the right tomb. What do you think Ahsoka? Any thoughts?", Luke asked. Except Ahsoka didn’t respond. “Ahsoka?”, Luke asked again turning towards her and Sabine.

But she was missing. Where did Ahsoka go? Sabine was startled by her sudden disappearance, she quickly yells out her name, “Ahsoka!? Come out, this isn’t funny!”. Sabine turned to Luke, but now he was gone. “Luke!?”, she said scared. Artoo let out a worried chirp, and backed up next to Sabine. “Good idea Artoo, let’s just stay closer to the exit", she said. There were loud footsteps behind them, Sabine and Artoo quickly turned around. “Luke?”, she asked. But it wasn’t Luke, or Ahsoka. Instead it was a dark silhouette of a human figure covered in stormtrooper armor. Before Sabine could quickly react, the figure struck her in the head with the end of his staff, knocking her out cold. Artoo quickly pulled out his Taser, when another figure quickly stunned him. Artoo let out a mechanical groan before being shut down.

* * *

Ahsoka had her blades activated, she was nowhere near Luke or Sabine. She was just in an empty room. At the very end of the room was a single door. Ahsoka cautiously walked over to it, it started to glow red. She knew what sith temples had, she was in one in Malachor, and also the hidden temple below Coruscant’s jedi temple. Ahsoka opened the door slowly, leaning in to see a huge tomb, surrounded by several statues around the room. She walked in, deactivating her blades, something was illuminating the entire room. It wasn’t bright, but she could still see clearly. She got closer to the tomb, its ancient history preserved in a golden case.

“ _Welcome Ahsoka Tano, daughter of Ehdan_ ", a voice echoed. Ahsoka quickly pulled out her lightsabers and pointing them at the sound of the mysterious voice. “You know my family?", she asked, to be honest she didn't even know who her father was, this is why she was so curious. “ _It is my curse to know all who journey here",_ the voice replied. “Who are you", Ahsoka demanded, standing in front of her, or rather floating, was a hooded man. “ _I was the first of many. The first true Sith Lord. I am_ _Marka Ragnos.",_ he replied in a low voice. “I come for an ancient artifact”, Ahsoka said moving farther from this Ragnos guy. “ _Then you must first face your great trial in order to collect it"_ , Ragnos stated floating closer to Ahsoka. “I’m ready", Ahsoka replied smirking. “ _We all think that at first my child, however, we are all wrong_ ", Ragnos simply stated, “ _You must now follow me_ ", gesturing to the center of the tomb. Ahsoka carefully followed him.

An old holocron levitated in the center of the tomb, but the statues that were once constructed to the wall were now standing facing away from the holocron and forming a large circle. “How is it that this is the artifact I was looking for", Ahsoka asked suspiciously. Luke had told her that a holocron and a piece of a map were to lead them to their next clue. “ _A lifetime ago, I too searched for knowledge, for power. But I was killed before I could ever reach it. Now, my soul lays restless. I now guide others to a treasure I cannot posses_ ”, Ragnos replied sadly. “Am I your only visitor?”, Ahsoka asked again walking faster now. “ _You are of many who come for this power. Yet, they all failed. Only one could pass my test. And it was thousands of years ago. A force wielder with a forgotten mind, to reclaim his identity as a sith. But he returned to put it back in place, so now I am trapped once again"_ , he admitted. _So it’s true what Zyon said, there were people coming here trying to get this,_ Ahsoka thought to herself. “ _What you seek lies in front of you_ ", Ragnos said to Ahsoka, _“In order you to take the holocron, you must choose wisely to pay the price"._

“What’s the price, five credits?”, Ahsoka jokingly asked. “ _L_ _ife or death_ ", Ragnos deadpanned. “Okay…”, Ahsoka awkwardly stated. “ _In your hand, is an ancient weapon. Once wielded by the one who betrayed me, it holds a key. Each statue represents all of the ones I helped trained. And you must now choose which on those is the one who truly”_ , Ragnos explained. “So I get the holocron if I get the correct answer?”, she asked. The ancient sith lord nodded, “ _You set me free, to finally rest with the force. And you keep the holocron_ ”.

“And if I get it wrong?”, Ahsoka asked staring at all the statues. “ _Then you will die_ ”, he simply replied.

* * *

“Ahsoka, Sabine, Artoo! Where are you?”, Luke shouted. He was alone now, the only thing with him was his lightsaber that continued to hum in vibration. This was far different than the temples Luke has been in, mainly because this was supposed to be a tomb. Not a temple, it shouldn’t have this type of power. Luke searched every angle for an exit, but he only found one stone door. It was calling for him, as Luke inched closer to the door the door started to glow a dark crimson red. “Well, this looks like the only way", Luke mumbled to himself. Luke slowly opened the door, but the room was empty. No star maps, nothing. Luke entered confused, _it should be here,_ he thought to himself.

“ _Welcome Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin_ ", a voiced echoed. Luke quickly pointed his blade at the source, and there was a hooded figure floating in the air. “Who are you and how do you know me!”, Luke demanded inching his blade closer to the figure. “ _My name is Marka Ragnos. And it is my curse to know all who journey here"_ , Ragnos said as he floated to the ground. Luke stayed still for a couple of seconds, of course it would be this sith guy. It was his tomb after all. “I come searching for the star map", Luke stated, “Heard it was somewhere here”. Ragnos simply nodded, “ _Then you come to the right path_ ". Luke spun his lightsaber as he walked closer to the spirit. “Great, mind giving me directions to it?”, Luke asked. “ _In order for you to get the star map, you must first face your test"_ , Ragnos explained. He now started to levitate closer to the ground, getting closer to Luke. “A test, huh? I think I can handle it”, Luke replied . “ _We all think that at first, and yet we are all wrong",_ Ragnos replied. Ragnos started floating towards a corner, Luke quickly followed. “You’re a sith. How is it that your spirit roams freely?”, he asked. He never heard about sith force ghost, not even in the holocrons he had collected. “ _My soul has been restless, I have been trapped here for a millennia. That is until you and your friends arrived. Right now, your other friend will do her part to let me become one with the force_ ", Ragnos explained in a sad tone.

The wall that Ragnos was staring was starting to become cloudy, Luke was amazed at how the wall transformed into something else. “ _What you seek, lies in front of you",_ Ragnos began, “ _As that what you fear. In order to get the star map, you must walk into the abyss. You'll face temptation beyond recognition",_ he warned, " _If you enter, you must not reach towards anything that is presented to you. If you do, then you'll die"._ Luke took a moment to consider, if he wasn't strong enough he'll fail his mission and the force. "What are the temptations?", Luke asked. Ragnos simply flashed a crooked smile, " _The future_ ". Luke took a deep breath, and stretched out his arm, and closed his eyes. He walked into the abyss. As he entered, he saw a narrow hallway made of the same dark clouds. At the very end was the star map, hovering in place. As Luke walked down the hallway, it started getting darker, barely any visible light. Save for the Star Map that glowed a dark blue. Everything surrounding the Star Map sang a low hum. Luke slowly reached towards the map. His fingers rubbing the surface of the ancient artifact. He was about to grab it, when the floors suddenly caved in.

* * *

Luke fell hard on the ground, grunting in pain. He heard familiar echoes of Master Yoda and Obi-wan. The mechanical breathing of his father's suit. He heard cries of terror and pain. That's when he looked up. " _A powerful sith you will become"_ , Palpatine's voice echoed. The sky turned black, pale white fingers pointing out of nowhere, shooting lightning towards Luke. He was able to dodge it in time. Everything seemed to slow down, his echoes of screaming of horror could be heard everywhere at a far distance. " _It's energy...",_ echoed the voice of Master Yoda. " _Unnatural_ ", Palpatine finished. A flash of lightning gave Luke a chance to see where he stood. He was standing in a field, filled with corpses of dead people, both human and non-human species. A strange group of creatures he never seen before walked through the corpses. _"This is our last stand...!",_ a young male voice spoke out. Loud snarls echoed around Luke as ships started falling from the sky. _"For the Galaxy!",_ a deep voice screamed a battle cry. Before Luke could react to what was going alon around him, lightning flashed again. This time, he felt he was floating in space. _"Darkness_ _rises and light to meet it"_ , another voice echoed. A few red streaks of light came to Luke's view, he watched in horror as five small planets were nuked by this mysterious beam in one go. _"There is no death",_ the voice continued. Luke fell to the floor, now standing in what seemed to be a bridge. " _Luke_ _!"_ , a voice yelled. Luke turned to the source of the voice. It was Han. " _He will be tempted, by the dark side",_ Obi-wan's voiced echoed faintly in the back of his head. _"There_ _is only the force_ ".

" _Luke, come back home_ ", Han said softly. Luke looked at his brother in-law in confusion. Just then a red blade stabbed Han in the back. "Han!", Luke yelled as tears flooded his eyes, while Han was thrown into the darkness abyss before him. " _And I am it's master_ ", the same mysterious voice declared. A dark figure holding a cross-bladed lightsaber stood before him now, standing where Han once stood. Luke brought his lightsaber to his side, but he was knocked out of his feet. His sight was blinded by a bright white surface. As he looked up, he saw a crew. And leading them was Leia. Luke quickly got up, "Leia!", he yelled. Leia turned and looked at him. There was a calmness between the two, " _Luke_ ", Leia said. She reached out her hand for him. He did the same. " _I'll show you, the dark side_ ", a mysterious mechanical voice yelled out. Suddenly, an explosion sucked Leia into oblivion. "No!", Luke yelled in horror, "This isn't true. It's not real!", Luke tried reminding himself. He heard young children crying, women weeping, and men being slaughtered all around him. _"You promised to help_ _us!"_ , several voices shouted. Something wrapped around Luke's leg, and started dragging him towards a clouded wall. Luke called his lightsaber to him, and sliced what ever was wrapped around him. He turned to see what creature, it was. But he was met with the face of a woman. " _You will be mine, Skywalker!"_ , shouted the women before giving the most terrifying smile ever known to man. Her smile was unnaturally wide, showing millions of small razor sharp teeth, and her eyes were a coal black. "What the hell are you!", Luke managed to say while trying not to be pulled in with her. " _Abeloth_ ", was all this woman shouted before lunging at Luke.

Before he could react, the woman, that thing, vanished into thin air. " _This is all your fault!",_ Ahsoka's words shouted at him. Luke now stood in an alter, in front of him was a huge crowd of hooded figures. All chanting in unison, _"All hail the Emperor. All hail the Emperor ",_ they kept muttering. Lightning struck again, this time illuminating the entire room. _"The Sith are_ _reborn_ ", a deep menacing voice declared, " _The Jedi are dead!"._ Lightning struck again, giving a high pitch scream. Luke turned to see what was behind him, and sitting on the throne, was a man. His face was hidden in the dark, but Luke could see the ancient white armor glimmering in the light. _"This marks the return, of the TRUE EMPEROR!",_ the man on the throne shouted. Luke then collapsed to his knees, the clouds slowly started to surround, each spin coming closer. A dark hand reached out towards Luke. " _Full fill your destiny_ ", the voice behind the hand said. "No, never. This isn't real", Luke shouted at the figures that all started to grab at him. " _Only you",_ another mysterious voice began _. "Can end this destructive conflict",_ Vader added, _"It is your destiny"._

"No", Luke shouted again, "No, No!". Luke gave a blood curdling scream and used the force to push everything surrounding him away, before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

“What was that?”, Ahsoka asked Ragnos. She thought she had heard a scream, or something, but she wasn’t sure. _“Focus young Tano",_ Ragnos simply replied. Ahsoka looked at all the statues, each had a small space where she can insert the old vibroblade in her hand, there was also a space in the middle of all the statues. “Okay, Ahsoka focus. Focus", she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes, and extended her hand towards each of them. She could feel the darkness coming out from each of them, all of which had different levels of power. The closest one to the center was more powerful than the one far back. But everything felt off. Ahsoka didn’t know why. Each statue was not the owner of the blade, or so at least she thought. Why does the name Ragnos sound so familiar?, Ahsoka thought to herself. Her mind then took her back to the past, a few months before she left the order:

* * *

_**Flashback** _

_“Hey Snips, what do you have there?”,_ a young Anakin asked her. _“Hmm?”,_ Ahsoka replied. Anakin gestured at the holocron, “ _Oh this? It’s a little something Barriss and I started doing ever since Maul came back. Master Yoda wanted us to learn more about the history of the sith, since my own master doesn’t actually teach me anything”,_ Ahsoka said smirking. “ _Hey, I do teach you many things. I was just a little busy this week”,_ Anakin said defending his actions. _“More like busy with Padmé",_ Ahsoka mumbled to herself.

“ _What was that?”,_ Anakin quickly asked, thinking he heard Ahsoka say something. _“Nothing, Skyguy",_ Ahsoka said smiling innocently. Anakin reached towards the holocron in Ahsoka’s hand, the holocron obeyed his command flying towards him. _“Hey, I wasn’t finished with that!”,_ Ahsoka cried out. _“Relax Snips. I’m now playing the role of Master",_ Anakin told her jokingly. Ahsoka simply rolled her eyes at her master’s joke. _“Ah, the ancient sith lord Marka Ragnos. The only sith lord to die of old age. Seems pretty lame if you ask me Snips”,_ Anakin stated. “ _Well now you ruined my study. Now I have to look for another sith lord",_ Ahsoka commented.

_“Psh, Snips the only sith lords that are actually worth reading about are Bane, Malgus and Revan”,_ Anakin replied handing her the holocron. _“Everyone knows that Darth Revan is just a myth. And the only thing interesting about Malgus was that he was married”,_ Ahsoka barked, _“Something no one can connect to. Isn’t that right Skyguy?”,_ she added mischievously. _“I have no idea what your talking about Ahsoka",_ Anakin quickly replied leaving the room.

_**End of Flashback** _

* * *

Ahsoka opened her eyes. _That’s it!,_ she thought to herself. _“What is it, Tano?”,_ Ragnos asked her. “These are all fake. No one killed you. You were the only sith lord to die of old age. Therefore, the vibroblade should go here", Ahsoka said quickly sticking the old vibroblade into the middle slot between all the statues. A loud click was created. All the statue started moving back to there position and the holocron started to lower. “ _Good_ ”, Ragnos said with a smile. _“You have unlocked the key, and you have passed my test. In return you will have what you asked for"._ Suddenly a bright flash engulfed the entire room. Blinding Ahsoka completely, the brightness was so much that she quickly got knocked unconscious, into the shrinking darkness.

* * *

Ahsoka opened her eyes, she found herself in a shallow body of water. “Mhm, what happened", Ahsoka said to herself. Once she got a better view, there was a single door in the middle of nowhere. She slowly got up, and she felt something odd in her left hand. Ahsoka lifted her left hand to see what she had. The holocron that was once floating was now in her hand, it illuminated a soft red glow. _"Rakata",_ the holocron whispered before it went quiet. "Well, at least that sith kept his promise”, Ahsoka told herself. She then got up, and slowly entered the door.

* * *

Luke opened his eyes, he was very confused. He was in a shallow pool, the endless water seem to reach no end. “What happened. Where am I”, he asked no one. He felt something in his hand. He slowly moved his hand to see what he was holding. He was holding the star map. “But…how?", Luke murmured to himself. _"I'll be waiting for you...my boy",_ the deep menacing voice from his vision told him. He didn’t know how to feel. He had so many questions, who was this Abeloth, the voices... But most importantly, who was this new Emperor? It wasn't Palpatine, he was long dead. And Luke made sure that every cloning facility was shut down and destroyed before the battle of Jakku, in case Palpatine ever survived. He learned that sith cheating may often cheat death, so it was better to be safe than sorry. But this new Emperor felt more sinister than Palpatine, more powerful. He, as well as all those mysterious voices were indicating a dark future, where the jedi are long dead, and a new Vader like being rises. He needed answers, and hopefully, what called for him to go search for the first jedi temple would give him a better hindsight in the situation.

Luke slowly got up and inched closer to the only thing in front of him. A door was in the middle of nowhere, simply in front of Luke. Nothing behind it or at its sides. Luke slowly opened the ancient door, a bright light was at the other side. Strange, there was nothing connecting with the door. It seemed as if the door was some sort of portal. Luke held his breath, as he slowly entered into the bright light. Luke’s eyes slowly adjusted to the settings around him. He was then met with the sight of Ahsoka. “Ahsoka!”, he said with relief in his voice. “Luke!”, she greeted in the same tone. They gave each other a quick hug before separating but still in each others arms. “Where have you been?”, Luke asked her. “I got the holocron. What about you?”, Ahsoka asked him. Luke stayed silent for a few seconds. Should he tell her? He trusted her, but at the same time he barely knew her. “Um, I got the Star Map. Yeah, nothing else", he said putting up a fake smile. Ahsoka gave him a suspicious look, before she was interrupted by a deep mechanical voice booming at them. “Oh, look at them. How adorable for a couple of jedi", the mechanical voice mocked. Ahsoka put herself in front of Luke, guarding him from the dark figure in painted stormtrooper armor standing near the exit. “Who are you!?”, Ahsoka demanded. Suddenly several figures all dress in the same black colored armor started coming out of nowhere. Each blocking the exit.

“We…are the Knights of Ren".


	12. The Knights of Ren

Chapter 11

"Knights of Ren, huh?", Ahsoka asked unamused, "What do want from us?". The leading knight pointed his black obsidian blade towards her, "We want the holocron. We know you have it, and your going to give it us". Ahsoka stayed quiet, who were these knights? They were very young, seemed to be around the mid teens judging by their size and voices. She felt that they were force sensitive, but luckily none of them had a lightsaber. Yet, she didn't know what those weapons are made of, they could be resistant to lightsabers, so she decided to play along. "And what if I don't comply with your demands?", she asked the leading knight. "Then they die", he simply replied. "They?", Luke asked puzzled poking his head out from behind Ahsoka. The Knights move to reveal a pretty beat up Sabine and a damaged Artoo. "Sabine!", Ahsoka yelled in horror. Though, Luke's scream for Artoo was more louder than hers. "Wow, thanks for worrying about me Luke, I appreciate it", Sabine yelled out sarcastically. "Silence!", one of the knights said hitting her head with the end of his staff. "Alright. We'll do as you ask, as long as you give us back our friends", Ahsoka demanded. The leading knight thought about it, lowering his weapon extending his hand. "First, give us the holocron", he ordered. The other knights aimed their weapons towards Sabine and Artoo. _"Ahsoka wait!",_ Luke shouted to her through the force. _"Use the force to hold Sabine and Artoo still",_ he continued. _"What, why? Are you crazy?",_ Ahsoka asked through their bond. _"Trust me in this",_ he replied. Through the force Ahsoka extended her grasp towards Sabine and Artoo, freezing their movements, while extending her hand holding the holocron towards the Knights.

"Don't do this Ahsoka. We'll be fine!", Sabine's muffled yells reached her. _"Anytime now, Luke",_ she told him. Luke suddenly came in front of her, sending a huge force wave towards the knights. The Knights of Ren all yelled as they were scattered around the room. "Quickly, let's go", Luke said running towards the injured Mandalorian and damaged R2 unit. "Oh so now you care", Sabine managed to say while getting up. "Hey, I've already lost Artoo once. I think you can handle yourself", Luke defended himself. "No time for chatting, let's go", Ahsoka ordered. They quickly ran out of the tomb, spotting their nearby speeder bikes they used to get here. Two of the speeders suddenly blew up, they quickly turned around to see one of the knights holding a rifle towards them. "You've made a grave error", the knight said quickly aiming towards Ahsoka. Before anyone could react, the blast hit Ahsoka's right leg. Making the Togruta fall over. "Ahsoka!", Sabine and Luke yelled in unison. Ahsoka cried out in pain as she was help up by Luke. "Can you walk?", Luke asked her worryingly. "Yeah, I think so", Ahsoka said gritting her teeth, she tried stepping on her leg, but she instantly crumpled down.

Luke was able to catch her in time. "Get her to the speeder, I'll hold them off", he told Sabine. Luke activated his lightsaber, quickly reflecting another blaster bolt firing at them. Sabine nodded and took Ahsoka to another nearby speeder. Before they left, Ahsoka and Sabine looked back to Luke who was now charging towards the Knights "Go. I'll meet you in the village". Luke heard the engines of the speeder slowly becoming faint as he faced all of the Knights of Ren. "Foolish Jedi, your courage act will lead to your death", the leading Knight said chuckling, "We outnumber you, six to one". The rest of the Knights started circling him. Luke brought his blade up to defensive position, scanning the area for an extra speeder. "I like those odds", he said to the leading knight. As anticipated, all six knights started attacking Luke at once. His green blade meeting the obsidian black, and titanium grey vibroblades of the Knights of Ren. They all exchanged blows as Luke swung his blade around defensively. He blocked their every attack. He noticed they were poorly trained. He was just to fast, to good for them. Luke didn't want to kill them, they could change their ways. They just needed guidance. Luke raised his fist, grabbing all the Knights and holding them into the air. "Who is your master?", Luke demanded in a cold tone. "Ren", one of the knights wheezed out as his windpipe started to close. "Who is this 'Ren'?", Luke asking tightening his grip. The leading knight simply laughed. "Like we'd ever tell you Jedi. It won't be long until your friends are dead". Luke immediately tossed the knights to the side of the valley. Their screams being cutoff as they fell unconscious. "It's Zyon", Luke told himself. He grabbed a surviving speeder and rushed towards the village.

* * *

Ahsoka, Sabine, and Artoo rushed into the village. They spotted Zyon who was busy fixing a droid. "Zyon! Come help us", Ahsoka shouted in pain. Zyon quickly turned to see the injured Togruta and half beaten Mandalorian, "Woah, what happen to you three?", Zyon asked rushing to Ahsoka's side. "We were attack by some group, I think they're a cult", Ahsoka explained, "They attacked Sabine and Artoo when Luke and I went into the Tomb, then one of them was able to shoot me in the leg when we were trying to escape", she said as she gasped in pain. "Here's some bacta pads, they should clean you both up", Zyon said to Sabine, handing her a pack. "What about her leg?", Sabine asked. Zyon studied the wound in Ahsoka's right thigh. The shot was clean through, but it missed any vital veins. "She'll be alright, but she need to avoid stepping on it for a few days", Zyon stated. Sabine helped Ahsoka moved into a better position as she wrapped her legs. The two had their backs facing away from Zyon. He tried to take the moment of vulnerability. He secretly pulled out his lightsaber, which was hidden by the back of his robes. Suddenly they heard footsteps as a person walked through the door, making Sabine pull out her weapons.

"Luke", Ahsoka and Sabine said in relief. Zyon quickly hid his lightsaber back to his robes. "Are you alright?", Ahsoka asked worriedly. Luke only had a black eye. "Yeah, I'm good. They're not as dangerous as I thought they would be. They're poorly trained, easily defeated them. One of them just got lucky", Luke replied shrugging. Sabine tossed him a bacta pad to get him cleaned up. Luke said his thanks he walked past Zyon, bumping his shoulder intentionally while checking R2-D2 to see what was damaged on his little droid. Several engines were beginning to roar in the distance. "They're coming", Luke warned. "You need to hide", Ahsoka told Zyon. "You need to leave", Zyon commented back. Luke and Sabine helped Ahsoka up, leading her to their speeder. "Go. I'll hold them off", Zyon mentioned. Sabine and Ahsoka nodded as they left on their speeder. Artoo awaited Luke on his own speeder. He whistled Luke to hop in and leave this forsaken planet. Luke turned around glaring at Zyon. "You're foolish if you think you can lay a hand on her and get away with this. I'll let you be. For now. But here is my warning Zyon, let's hope we don't meet again. It won't end well for you... Ren", Luke stated coldly before leaving on his speeder. Leaving a glaring Zyon behind.

* * *

“You had one job! One job!”, Zyon yelled at the leading knight of Ren, who was named Cardo, “How is it that you all failed? You are all the Knights of Ren. You were supposed to take them by surprise!”. The room was quiet, the Knights were hesitant to speak. “Well? Explain yourselves", Zyon ordered in frustration. “Master Ren, we did take them by surprise. But we underestimated the Jedi", Ap'lek spoke up before quieting down almost immediately. Of course, they would give an invalid answer. Zyon had trained every single one to become the best fighters out there. Now, they were his Knights. The Sith Cult, capable of using the dark side to its limits. They were the future. If the Empire was still up and running, they would’ve been excellent inquisitors, heck Palpatine would’ve look at them as future apprentices if Darth Vader failed. But that was the past, and today is the present.

They failed. Their first failure against any real Jedi. Anger swelled up in Zyon when Luke's words echoed in his head. _"They're poorly trained, easily defeated them"._ How dare a boy insult him in his methods of training. And Skywalker knows his secret, which means that the Knights couldn't keep their mouths shut. It won't be long until Luke tells Ahsoka. He'd need his plan to work out perfectly if he wanted the Jedi dead. "Did you at least get the holocron?", Zyon asked with venom in his voice. Another long silence, which answered Zyon's question. Zyon ignited his purple lightsaber in anger and aimed it at Cardo's neck. “The most simplest task, I gave you the simplest task, and yet you failed me. You will be punished”. The Knights backed away slowly, worried of what their master will do. “But Master, we’re only fifteen, and the jedi was older, more experienced”, Ushar commented. Zyon only huffed in annoyance, “That’s your excuse? When I was fifteen, I was fighting in a galactic war. I fought separatist forces, saw the Empire rise and the Galactic Republic fall, for three years I have fought greater enemies. And yet, all six of you can’t handle three individuals!”, he yelled at them.

“At least the Key is intact”, Kuruk stated in a hopeful voice. Zyon stopped for a moment, sure his students failed their main task in not getting the holocron, but the key was still in place. Meaning that they can continue phase two of his plan. “Very well", Zyon finally said lowering his lightsaber blade from Cardo, “Head back to the Tomb of Marka Ragnos. We’ll start from there. I’ll meet you all shortly", Zyon stated. The knights all nodded and headed to their speeders, heading back to the Valley of the Dark Lords.

* * *

Zyon sat down on his throne, rubbing his forehead. Everything wasn’t going as planned. Skywalker halted his plan. And now he'll have to deal with Ahsoka Tano. He never really liked her, or her master Anakin Skywalker. Those two were always troublesome during the Clone Wars. And when they were both younglings, Ahsoka would always brag about how she was to be elected to be the “Chosen One’s” future padawan. Even though it was him, that helped her get Master Yoda's attention. Everything that Ahsoka succeeding in getting was his doing! Not hers. He was supposed to be the padawan, a galactic hero. A legend. But then everything changed for the better, Ahsoka was framed by Barriss Offee and she left the order after losing fate in the Jedi. He thought that would be the end of things until a few months later, Anakin Skywalker marches straight into the Jedi Temple with his 501st battalion and murders everyone, ending the hateful jedi order, and it’s precious Republic.

Sure, Zyon saw his master die. Sure he was captured by Vader and tortured endlessly, but that gave him the freedom he deserved. Palpatine had shown him the power of the dark side, and he craved for it. He became top of all Inquisitors, right after the Grand Inquisitor. And he was trusted with the secret project of the Eclipse and project Blackwing. But even that ended when strange creatures came out of nowhere and crashed Thrawn's fleet into the Eclipse, making him end up in the plains of Korriban. He spent all his time training the Knights of Ren to help get the holocron that he dearly wanted, out of all the ones he trained, only six survived. Skywalker was just a minor setback, soon all the remaining jedi will soon be destroyed. Including Ahsoka.

Zyon immediately ignited his lightsaber and threw it at the entrance of his home. The saber stopped only inches of a helmet. “You shouldn’t be here”, he said darkly. “Neither should you", a feminine voice echoed back. Zyon turned his head around to see a woman dressed in Inquisitor armor casually resting at the door frame. Zyon observe her figure, she didn’t carry the Empire’s insignia, and she didn’t have the mandatory double bladed weapon Inquisitors were suppose to wear. She wore a helmet almost replicating Vader's. To any individual she would’ve been a threat. But he knew her, he used to be in love with her, he helped her go up the chain of command. “Mara Jade. It’s good to see you again".

“The same could be said to you, if I didn’t catch you scolding at your precious Knights of Ren”, Mara replied. “I’ve been busy”, Zyon replied. Mara removed her helmet, revealing a beautiful young woman with striking red hair. _Just like how I remembered her_ , Zyon told himself. “How did you get here anyway? No one from the empire was supposed to know about this place”, Zyon finally said breaking a growing silence between them. “I followed those filthy rebels here", Mara said with venom in her voice. She lifted a small device that displayed the location of the _Jedi Finder,_ which had entered hyperspace and was heading to the Mandalore system.

“So, you’ve seen the Eclipse? Must have had a rough entry", Zyon stated as he observed the map that followed the jedi’s trail. “Yes. I have, I was able to sneak aboard and sent it into hyperspace. To a secure location where no one from the New Republic can find it", Mara explained, “But tell me Zyon, I watched the security video before I sent the Eclipse to hyperspace. Tell me, what things were you cooking up in those labs?”.

Zyon stayed quiet for a moment, he didn’t want to relive what had happened aboard the Emperor’s super star destroyer, but he needed to give a full explanation to Mara. If not, she wouldn’t back down until she got what she wanted. “The Emperor had given an order to research on an ancient plague. To stop the growing rebellion”, he began, “We call it the Blackwing virus. It was made from a few force sensitive plants, using sith alchemy to help create it. The virus is supposed to infect others and turn them into a walking dead. We tested it in some of our prisoners, to see its effects. And it was horrible. The subjects quickly began learning at an accelerated pace, all the while beginning the cycle of becoming zombified. They became highly intelligent, capable of using weapons. And while we were still testing, these creatures came out of nowhere, making star destroyers crash into us. Releasing the virus completely. And we all had to evacuate. For all I know, that super star destroyer is still filled with them".

“Its empty. They’re all gone", Mara said interrupting him. “Impossible”, Zyon asked in disbelief, “How?”.

“From what I understood from the security footage, Skywalker used a modified version of the force rage to destroy all your zombies”, Mara explained showing Zyon the footage. “Interesting. He's using the darkside. Something a Jedi shouldn't do", Zyon said with curiosity in his voice. He suddenly smiled as he realized this, “Perhaps my plan may still be in action", he said stroking his chin. “Your plan?”, Mara asked puzzled. “Right now, me and my knights are beginning a Sith ritual to try and restore the sith order. And I was afraid that the jedi would be in my way. But now, Skywalker isn’t at all what he seems to be. If we can turn him, I’ll have exactly what I want", Zyon said grinning at the image of Luke that hovered before him. “It will be inevitable”.


	13. The Return of the Sith

Chapter 12

“All I’m saying is that I don’t fully agree with your plan", Mara yelled at Zyon. The two were heading to the valley of the Dark Lords to meet up with Zyon's Knights when they started arguing. “Which part do you not agree with? The part where we turn Skywalker to the dark side, or where we resurrected an ancient sith lord?”, Zyon yelled back, now fully frustrated with Mara. “Both actually”, Mara spitted back, “The sith had evolved for so long, we don’t know what will happen when you resurrected a dark lord of the past. Its also worth mentioning that Skywalker has been tempted by the dark side on many occasions by both the Emperor and Vader, and yet they both failed. How do you know its going to end any different? We should just kill him when we get the chance".

Zyon simply rolled his eyes, she couldn’t see the perfection of his plan. He was sure of it. “What’s with you all of the sudden?”, Zyon questioned her, “First you agree with me, then all you want to do is kill Skywalker. Nothing else". And it was true, she spent the last few minutes explaining her fantasies of killing Luke Skywalker with her blade in numerous ways. “We both want him dead. It’s best for us to remove our enemies first”, Mara replied gritting her teeth. Zyon stayed silent for a moment looking at her, sure they both wanted Skywalker dead. But Mara seemed to have a personal desire that she was hiding. “You are hiding something. What are you hiding?”, Zyon accused her, pointing his finger at her. Mara was taken aback by this sudden accusation. “Nothing. All I simply want is revenge for what he did to the Empire", Mara simply stated while walking away. “Tell me the truth", Zyon commanded in his deeper voice, grabbing her arm and made her faced him, “Tell me, the truth", he repeated this time more softly. Mara looked up at him, her eyes had started to tear up. “Do you- Do you remember before you left for this project, that I told you that I needed to tell you something?”, she asked with her voice breaking a bit. “Of course, you were excited yet scared at the same time. But I never got to hear it because the rebels attacked our forces at the battle of Fanja, and it was the last time we saw each other”, Zyon told her bringing up the memories of the battles they fought together in the past.

“The thing I was trying to tell you was that-", Mara paused looking everywhere but at Zyon, until she finally had the guts to look at his dark brown eyes, “I was pregnant”. Zyon stood there shocked. Mara was pregnant? With his child!? Why didn’t she tell him sooner? Where was the child now? Zyon was filled with questions, and he wanted answers to all of them. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”, Zyon asked her. Mara only closed her eyes to stop incoming tears, “I was scared. I was only eighteen, and you know, as I know, that many imperials would’ve looked at us with disgust knowing that a eighteen year old was in a relationship with a thirty four year old man. And that’s not to include what Vader and Palpatine would’ve done to us. You saw what Vader did to those Inquisitors that fell in love with each other all those years ago. He killed them. I may have been a toddler then, but I remembered it perfectly", Mara said raising her voice as tears fell off her face.

“I had the child. If that’s what your thinking, I gave birth in secret", Mara continued, “ I raised it up until its third birthday. Vader found our child, he didn’t kill it. But he said that he would take it to a secure location to start its training, and he promised that he would protect it with his life”. Zyon sat down on a nearby rock, this was just too much information to take in a single day. “What happened to our child?”, Zyon asked. He wanted to know if he had a son or a daughter, but knowing where this was going he knew deep inside of him that it was off not knowing the offspring he had. “It was aboard Palpatine’s second Death Star. And-”, Mara said stopping suddenly. A long silence filled the air with Zyon staring at Mara, who was now looking down at the ground. She then looked at him, her eyes were now a bright yellow. “And Luke Skywalker killed our child", she said in a deep cold voice. Zyon remained shocked at this revelation, this so-called jedi knight killed a child, and not just any child. His child. Zyon was filled with rage, he ignited his lightsaber and started slashing all the nearby rocks. Several sparks went flying everywhere. He was panting very hard as his eyes glowed a crimson yellow. “That son of a Bantha! Luke Skywalker will pay for what he did. With his blood", he declared darkly, “I’ll murder him with his own blade. Slowly tearing each limb as he screams in pain, he'll only wish he's been dead".

“No", Mara interrupted, "I will kill him. I spent two years in trying to hunt him down. I will not throw away my shot”. The two starred at each other down, neither giving ground. “We need all we can get. We can’t face him alone", Zyon explained, “We need the ancient sith, Marka Ragnos”.

“It won't work”, Mara stated, “Even with your Knights, and this Marka Ragnos. We are no match for him!”. Zyon stayed quiet for a moment, how would they be able to defeat Skywalker? He and Mara could handle Ahsoka and the Mandalorian with ease. But the young jedi knight was the biggest problem. If all nine could form up against Skywalker, than they had a chance. Or better yet, if Luke kept using the darkside, than Ahsoka would have to intervene. Their battle will weaken him, and only then can they end the jedi for good.

* * *

The tomb doors slowly opened, revealing the dark pit to both Zyon and Mara. "Are you sure about this Zyon?", Mara asked him worriedly, "If we bring him back, how do you know we have a small chance to defeat Skywalker". Zyon stayed silent, staring at the darkness in front of him, "The dark side is strong, it will be our ally. We shall use it's advantages. To avenge the deaths of the Sith, and our child", he said before grabbing Mara's hand and walking toward the entrance.

When they entered, they were met with the sight of six figures all kneeling in a circle, chanting in an ancient language. "Knights", Zyon announced loudly. The figures all faced towards them, each one slowly getting up. "Who is she?", the Knight named Cardo, question. "This is Mara Jade. She and I had a history together being a part of the Emperor's hand", Zyon explained as Mara simply waved her hands to the Knights. The Knights introduced themselves, revealing their respected names: Ap'lek, Kuruk, Trudgen, Cardo, Vicrul, and Ushar. Mara was impressed that they all sounded young, in their mid-teens to be the least. "Do you use the power of the shadow?", Trudgen asked.

"The what?", Mara asked confused looking at Zyon for an answer. "The shadow is just another name for the darkside of the force", he explained as he set up flames, "It's a more interesting name for the younger generation". Mara simply nodded at this information. "Master Ren, when do we start the ritual?", Ap'lek spoke up. Zyon put his hand on Mara's shoulder, looking directly at her. "The ritual begins now".

The Knights walked back to where they were first kneeling, with a huge sith relic that held a vibroblade in the middle, the surrounding areas were glowing a deep red. Mara hesitated, looking at Zyon as he joined the knights. "How are we going to start it? We need the sith to actually do it", Mara said slowly joining them. The knights looked at her, then at their Master. Zyon simply smiled, "You were the Emperor's personal assassin, he trained you in the ways of the dark. Some inquisitors might even have thought that you would replace Vader sooner or later. You are the closest we have to the sith. You will lead the ritual", he stated. Mara stayed quiet, but silently agreeing with her new task at hand. "Ok", she said nervously, "Let's do this". Everyone were kneeling in a circle, all chanting the ancient sith language. _"Nw kash zo tash, antai kash tik sh. Pro sh, nu gauti ty. Pro ty, nu gauti midwan. Pro midwan, nu gauti pergaleas. Pro pergaleas, nuyak chains aras svistuis. Tave qy sekleti uzsit nun",_ they all chanted. Slowly the vibroblade slowly started to move, with several sith stautes falling to the floor. The earth rumbled for a moment, before letting out a low moan. _"Oy, zavus ir midwanas Marka Ragnos",_ Mara began as things around the room started levitating _, "Mes tapti'kia tu kia nesti mus aid, kash hopes kia qorit tave jidai negu zhol kash reborn. Tave tsis zinot fallen sso tave hands iv jidai Luke Skywalker, kad tave jena'tes uud survived ir uud niekada tukodi viekisas. Mes visita beyond tave grave, kia nesti atgal tave karuvis tsis ari. Ir mokyti mus tave tiesa midwan iv tave tsis. Oy, jengat ari Ragnos!"._

The fire that was surrounding the blade slowly changed color, from the typical orange and yellow to a now crystal blue. The flames got higher, but somehow, the room got colder. The more they chanted the sith code, the more closer they got to completing the ritual. Mara moved her hands in a circular motion, just as how Palpatine had taught her all those years ago. She released a huge amount of force lightning and continued this as the flames were now a ghostly blue, almost reaching the ceiling of the room. The blade had now moved, opening what it was guarding. A casket started to rise from the ground as the blade fell into abyss. " _Su tave redis sulig nuyak burna, nu declare tu kia buti reborn_ ", Mara said looking up, with the force she lifted the flames and directed them to the casket, " _Pradzia ari Ragnos. Pradzia!",_ she yelled at the top of her voice. The place started to shake again, this time a loud groan filled the room, making them clench their ears.

"Long, have I waited", a deep voice said. Mara looked into the now dying flames, she saw a shadow slowly emerging from the now burning casket. "I have been reborn!", the deep voice said excitedly. Suddenly a tall humanoid figure emerged from the flames, his skin still wearing parts of the flames that hadn't gone out yet. He stood at least seven feet tall, and was quite muscular, even with all the traditional sith robes he was wearing. "Marka Ragnos has returned", he laughed maniacally.

* * *

Ragnos turned to see the Knights, Zyon, and Mara all surrounding him. "Rise, my nobel disciples", he said as he called his vibroblade to him. The group slowly rose, still very cautious about what they just did. "I sense great power in you all, but you are not sith. You may look like it, but the sith do not have fear. I sense great fear from you", Ragnos said pointing a finger at Mara. "My lord", Zyon said bowing down, "We brought you back to help us defeat the jedi once and for all". A low humph sound emitted from Ragnos's mouth, "Yes. Skywalker, the last jedi", he said smiling. He placed his vibroblade next to Mara, smiling as she flinched at how close it was. "I am Ren, and these are my Knights", Zyon introduced while gesturing to the knights and Mara, "And we wish you teach us the way of the sith. Our sith are now extinct, so we come to you", he took out a hilt similar in fashion to the blade offering Ragnos the piece. Ragnos simply smiled as he used the force to grab the hilt, reattaching it to his blade. "Here me children", Ragnos stated as he raised his fully constructed vibrosword. "The day of victory is at hand. The day of revenge. The day of the Sith!"


	14. And so it begins....

Chapter 13

" _Update me on your progress, Assassin_ ", the commanding voice of Gallius Rax told Mara Jade, who was currently watching in the distance Ragnos training the Knights of Ren. "Process is going slow, I encountered some new allies on Korriban", Mara replied. " _These new allies, former imperials or something else?",_ Rax asked her. "A sith cult", Mara said looking back at the group, "Their leader is a former inquisitor", she explained in further detail. The two remained silent for a couple of minutes before Rax spoke up again. " _Can they be trusted?",_ he asked sincerely. Mara hesitated for a moment, could she trust them? They sure had the same goal, to eliminate Skywalker. But what about after? Will they continue to be with her, or would they betray her in the last second?

"I", Mara began still thinking in what to say, "Its hard to explain their motives. We're currently training to improve their attacks". Rax took it all in, but he certainly wasn't impressed. " _You are wasting valuable time Mara Jade_ ", he said in disgust, " _Skywalker and the rebels are probably halfway to Thrawn, and yet you waste your time training useless -",_ Rax suddenly stopped. He slowly reached for his throat, choking for air. Mara slowly tightened her grip as she visualized Rax's throat. "I give you Palpatine's warship. Just like you asked. And in return you dare disrespect me, Admiral Rax?", Mara asked amusingly. She watched as he slowly turned a dark shade of blue. He could've been purple at this point, but holograms never displayed anything without the infamous blue hue. Just then, Rax grabbed a small hand held device, instantly pushing the large button.

Mara immediately felt a shocking pain spread throughout her body. Her invisible grip holding Rax's throat vanished as she tried to scream out in pain, but her body was still in complete shock, her vocal cords giving out nothing but air. Then the pain stopped. Mara started gasping for air, as she angrily look at Gallius Rax as he just smirked back at her. "What the hell was that?", Mara immediately yelled out. " _An inhibitor chip_ ", Rax explained, " _Did you really believe that the Emperor would've let you be free willed after what happened on Mustafar? Every action you have taken, was commanded by Palpatine. But now, I control you",_ he declared with a crooked smile.

This brought many painful memories to Mara. She had to endure pain beyond imagination, she was drugged, abused, all to become the perfect assassin for the Emperor. She even questioned how she was able to give birth at just eighteen after all the torture she had went through "I'll kill you before you have the chance to even think of killing me Gallius", Mara said with disgust in her voice. The only response she got was laughter. " _Oh, Mara you must not talk back to your superior_ ", Rax said slyly. "I'd never kneel to a coward like yourself. You turned the Empire against itself", Mara spatted out. But she would soon regret her words, as she felt the shocking pain spread again. Mara screamed in agony again, desperate for it to end. " _I am the supreme leader, assassin. Unless you want to die before you even have a chance to complete the mission, I suggest that you remain quiet and continue with the task in hand",_ Rax said coldly, _"Is that clear?",_ he asked slowly, as he also reached for the button again. "Yes Sir", Mara hesitantly answered. Rax chuckled as Mara finally gave in. _"Now that you learned your place, agent, I expect you to hurry your 'trainees' and pick up your slack. Admiral Sloane will be arriving shortly to Korriban to deliver a proto-type Oubliette-class Transport. More spacious than your Tie Advance. Do not fail me Mara Jade. Or you will face the consequences",_ Rax ordered in a cold tone, before ending his transmission. Mara laid on the ground, wiping the tears strolling on her face. She wanted to end her life for so long, she didn't want to endure it anymore. The emperor was gone, her child was dead, and here she's being tortured by some kriffing imperial. What else can go wrong? The only joy she'll ever get now is when she has Luke Skywalker's head dangling from her hands.

"Mara, are you alright?", Zyon asked as he walked towards her with the Knights of Ren following suit. He saw her laying on the ground, making grunting noises. "I'm fine Zyon", Mara said hiding her emotions. She was well at hiding her emotions, as a trained assassin she couldn't display any emotions when on missions. Mara could still hear the cries of young children when she was ordered to kill them in her sleep. She shook her demons back inside, she'll deal with them later. "Pack your things, we're leaving", she said while getting up. "How? We won't all fit in your small tie fighter. And Master Ragnos isn't that small", Ap'lek said turning to see the massive sith lord slowly making his way to them.

Just then, a star destroyer came out of hyperspace, entering the planet's atmosphere. "I see technology has really advance from my time", Ragnos said in awe. Several gunships and a single transport landed near them. Mara led the Knights and the revived sith lord towards the transport. Admiral Sloane waiting for them. "Assassin", Rae Sloane acknowledged as soon as she saw Mara, "Here is your upgrade, as requested". Mara acknowledged Sloane, gesturing to the knights to board the shuttle. "And what will you do with the villagers?", Mara asked Sloane as she put on her assassin's helmet. "Don't worry about the villagers. We'll take good care of them", Rae reassured her. Mara nodded and entered the shuttle, the engines roaring to life. "And now, my faithful disciples, we follow the jedi to his death", Ragnos shouted gleefully. The knights all cheered, all blindly following and doing Ragnos's every word. Mara walked to the cockpit, surprised that Zyon had a helmet that was definitely not imperial. "What's with the helmet?", Mara asked him. Zyon seemed confused for a second before understanding the question, "Oh, this?", he said while pointing to a white mask with red marking in the middle, "Its a sith mask. Once used by Darth Jade during the old republic. Marka Ragnos gave it to me, he said anything that a powerful sith had once possessed will give it's user extraordinary power. Plus, it hides my identity from the jedi", Zyon explained. Mara rolled her eyes at her companion's beliefs. Soon, this will all be over. Hopefully. "Well, time to hunt down the Skywalker", she said to herself. "Relax Mara, it won't be like the battle of Phindar", Zyon said chuckling. "Don't even remind me", Mara said soon joining his laughter. The shuttle soon started taking off, Mara took one last look at the surface of Korriban and Sloane's star destroyer before making the jump to Mandalore.

* * *

Rae Sloane watched as the shuttle vanished to hyperspace. A stormtrooper commander started walking her. "Commander", she said, "What are your reports for the imperial survivors?". The commander took out a small datapad and began reading everything be had typed down. "Only half a squadron of Death Troopers. Still viable. And there are several children ranking from the ages of seven to three months old. Everyone else are unqualified for military service, Sir", the commander said before putting the datapad away. Sloane slowly nodded, "Good. Have the gunships transport the Death Troopers and all the children to the Star Destroyer", she commanded. "What about the others?", the commander questioned. Sloane stopped for to think, before making her final decision. "Eliminate the rest. The First Order will not have weaklings for an army. Show no mercy, commander". The commander nodded and signaled the other stormtroopers to follow him into the village to do the dirty deed.


	15. For Mandalore!

Chapter 14

Luke came up to Ahsoka's room, he knocked on her door. He wanted to talk with her about what he saw on Korriban, the visions he wanted to keep to himself were starting to haunt him. Its been five hours since the events of Korriban, yes five long hours. The T-6 shuttle was very slow in hyperspace. It takes the Falcon only an hour or two to travel the same distance. He tried to modify the hyperdrive to go faster, but Ahsoka and Sabine wouldn't let him near the engines. So Luke had to endure the long wait. "Enter", the soft voice of Ahsoka from the other side of the door said. Luke slowly opened the door to see Ahsoka laying down on her bed, with Sabine still working on her injuries. "Ahsoka, could I speak to you. In private?", Luke asked timidly. Ahsoka nodded and signal Sabine to leave. After Sabine left, Luke went down and sat next to Ahsoka. "What did you want to talk about Luke?", Ahsoka asked him. Luke stayed silent for a moment, should he tell her what he saw in the tomb? Would that effect the future he saw? Lost in thought, Ahsoka grabbed Luke's hand to calm him down. "Luke what ever it is, you can tell me. You have to trust me in this", she said softly while looking at his blue eyes. Luke took a small breath and avoided Ahsoka's gaze. "Ahsoka, I wasn't completely honest when we left Korriban", Luke finally admitted. "I know", Ahsoka said cutting him off with a smile, "And before you ask how, I've known how you Skywalkers get when you try to lie. Your father wasn't very good at it when it came to your mother", she explained in further detail. Luke chuckled at Ahsoka's attempt to humor him. "Ahsoka, what I was shown, it scares me", Luke slowly said. Ahsoka's face grew more serious, Luke's test was different. She only needed to do a challenge, he must have been shown something to drastically scar him. "What did you see?", she asked him.

Luke got up from his chair, facing the wall. "I saw darkness", he said before turning back to Ahsoka, "I saw destruction, pain, death. And the end of everything I loved and held dearly. I saw the future Ahsoka, and it's terrible. Civilizations falling apart, the rise of a new Vader, beings from the unknown. And a new Empire rising to take over the galaxy. And the worst part of it all, the jedi cease to exist", Luke said raising his voice and slumping back down to his chair. "I'd failed to bring the jedi back. I cause the new Vader to rise, I caused all of it", Luke said holding back his tears. Ahsoka held his hand trying to reassure him, "Luke, the future cannot be predetermined. What you saw in there, it was just an illusion, a trick by a long dead sith lord. And if it was really the vision of the future, we can change it, the force will not allow something as terrifying as your vision to take place Luke", she said holding his hand even tighter. "But Ahsoka, all of this, its just too much to endure", Luke said with tears threatening to fall from his eyes, "I still have many questions that even all the jedi holocrons put together cannot answer. I need to find the true knowledge, and its hidden somewhere in the first temple, it has to have all the answers", Luke then muttered to himself. "Luke, why are you so desperate in finding this temple? I can help you with anything you need", Ahsoka said. Luke paused for a moment, he hesitated but decided to follow his conscience. "Ever since the Emperor's death, there has been a voice calling for me", Luke began. Ahsoka stayed quiet watching the young Skywalker explain his reasoning. "At first, it told me to look for a compass. Saying that it lead me to my next clue. I found the compass near the outer rim. And it led me here, on a quest for the first jedi temple".

"But Luke, surely one of our holocrons would have had the location. There's no way the Empire could have destroyed such vital information", Ahsoka pointed out. "That's the thing Ahsoka", Luke agreed, "But it's not in any records of the Jedi. Palpatine was the only one that had a lead". Ahsoka's eyes widen in fear, this could be a trap. Could it be possible that somehow, somewhere, the Emperor was still alive? Haunting Luke, and perhaps tricking him into following his command. But why a Jedi Temple? Was it to try and lure him faster? "So do you think Palpatine returned?", Ahsoka asked with fear in her voice. "No", Luke stated, "My father made sure that Palpatine could never return. Not even the darkside could disobey my father's command. It's someone else that's calling for me", Lule insisted. "Then who do you think it is?", Ahsoka asked curiously. Luke then proceeded to pull out a small holocron out of his pocket, he started fidgeting with it until it open. "Him", Luke simply said. Ahsoka was shell-shocked when the holocron opened. A man in white robes, ancient beskar armor, and a Mandalorian mask was displayed before her. "He exist", was all she managed to say. _"I am Revan. The Prodigal Knight. What is your wish young one?"_.

* * *

"Luke, do you know what this means?", Ahsoka asked the young Jedi. Luke shook his head. "Revan was just a myth in my time. If he's the one trying to contact you, then this is bigger than you thought". Luke looked at the hologram in surprise. If that was true, then why did he need the Sith holocron? "Ahsoka", Luke slowly said, "What did the sith holocron tell you when you first grabbed it". Ahsoka hesitated for a moment. She understood Luke's question, but she couldn't find the right answer. "All it said was Rakata before it went quiet", she simply told him. _"Rakata"_ , Revan mimicked. The two stopped talking, forgetting that the holocron was still activated. The holocron buffered for a moment before it spoke again. _"Rakata"_ , Revan repeated. _"Mandalore. The final piece. Head to Mandalore, look for Tarre Vizla"._ Revan said as the holographic images of a man with blonde hair and strong jawline started rotating. "This could be it!", Luke said with hope. "This could be the last piece to lead me to the first jedi temple".

"Luke, as much as I want to help you search for answers, we need to find Ezra first. You can't just abandon us mid way", Ahsoka immediately protested trying to get up. Luke helped her get up, calling her staff to him from across the room. "Ahsoka, I'm not going to abandon you and Sabine. I made a promise, and I'll always keep my promises", Luke said as he gave her the staff. "If I'm correct. I think finding Bridger and the Temple are connected in someway".

"So what you're saying is that we kill two birds with one stone?", Ahsoka asked as Luke helped her to the door. "Exactly", Luke said agreeing as they exited the room. "All we need to do, is find the man", Luke stated. "Luke don't be ridiculous, that holocron is thousands of years old. Tarre Vizla is already centuries dead", Ahsoka said. "Then we need someone who knows Mandalorian culture inside and out", Luke realized, "Luckily we have ourselves a guide". As in cue, Sabine walked in with her repainted armor on, followed by R2-D2. "Hey, we're here", Sabine said looking at the two force wielders. Luke and Ahsoka just stared at her, smiling. "What?", Sabine said still not understanding what's happening. "Your just in time Sabine", Ahsoka said smirking, "Pack your gear Sabine. Your leading this one", she said as she threw Sabine her bag.

* * *

**Mandalore**

"There is a statue of Tarre Vizla not far from here. He was only Mandalorian to ever be a jedi", Sabine explained as she examined the image of the man coming from the holocron. "He's the one that made the darksaber, right?", Luke asked her as handed the holocron to Ahsoka. "I see you payed attention to our conversation Luke, and yes he did make it. Its now passed on through generations, the one that wields it becomes the ruler of Mandalore", Sabine sadly spoke. "What happened to it?", Ahsoka asked her, "Last time you told me you had it, right?". Sabine stayed silent, tears threatening to come out. "I gave it to Bo-Katan", she quickly said before turning away from the two force users, "When the Empire found out that Mandalore was starting a revolution, they attacked us with full force", she explained, "To keep it simple, we won our liberation, but at a heavy price. We all scattered, many clans have since fell, including my clan. Not many are left. Bo-Katan liberated us from the Empire. But at a price. No one has seen her since, many believed she died. And the worst part is, the dark saber has been missing since", Sabine finished as she wiped away the tears rolling down her, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you guys. This place brings back to many bad memories". Ahsoka put her hand on the young mandalorian's shoulder as she tried to comfort her, "Sabine, I know its hard. We all lost something to the empire, but we need your help. For Ezra's sake, help us locate this statue", she said as she sent a comforting wave to Sabine through the force. Sabine slowly calmed down, and she looked at Ahsoka, "Your right, I need to continue. For Ezra's sake", she managed to say. "Let's get to it then", Luke said softly before walking to the nava computer. Sabine began explained how to get to the statue as she pointed out to dots on the map, "I know where it is, the problem is getting there".

"Can't we just fly the shuttle to the statue?", Luke asked as he stroked his chin. "Unless you want to be instantly shot down, be my guest", Sabine commented, "Clan Saxon, one of the only clans still standing, rules that area. Their dignity became so low, even the Fett's are more honorable than them now", she said with disgust in her voice. "Then how do you suggest we get there, we can't exactly use speeders. Mine was destroyed on Oricon, and the one we took from Korriban is barely in working condition", Ahsoka asked. "The only option is to walk", Luke concluded. Artoo started chirping about all the risk they could encounter, which was a high estimate. "Artoo's right, we'll be exposed to sniper rifles, and we have another problem", Sabine declared while looking at Luke. "And that is?", Ahsoka asked confused. Sabine starred at Luke, her eyes asking if he should be the one to speak. Luke huffed as his hand hit his forehead, "Ahsoka, your injured", he finally pointed out.

"So your saying that I'm the problem? You think I should be here alone?", Ahsoka asked now feeling insulted by the two younger humans. "No", Sabine and Luke said in unison. "You'll have Artoo with you, we can have you see our moves and alert us of any incoming hostiles", Sabine reassured her as she handed Ahsoka her comlink. Ahsoka grunted a small thanks. _Curse those Knights of Ren,_ she said to herself. "The terrain around the statue is rocky Luke, I suggest you to get some good gear out of our supply room", Sabine warned him. "I'm from Tatooine, that place is filled with sandy and rocky terrain, I'll be fine", Luke said as he entered his room. Sabine looked at her datapad to see what time was best to leave, "I think at dusk we'll leave", she said to Ahsoka, "Judging by the distance to get there, we should be back at the early stages of dawn". Ahsoka silently nodded as she grabbed the datapad, "In case you both don't come back, I'm going after you", Ahsoka said grimly. "Well let's hope that doesn't happen", Sabine said before entering her room, leaving Ahsoka and Artoo in the cockpit.

* * *

Ahsoka stayed in the cockpit meditating, or at least tried to. The pain in her lower thigh was unbearable, she tried healing herself to see if she could perhaps persuade Luke and Sabine to let her join their expedition. She hated it when she was treated like an incompetent person, she could handle things by herself, injured or not. She led groups of padawans back to safety after encountering Grievous, bounty hunters and pirates. A little blaster bolt wouldn't stop her. Soft footsteps echoed in the ship, it was Luke, he slowly walked towards the cockpit. "Hey", Luke said softly as he opened the doors. Ahsoka stayed in her meditating position, still with her eyes closed. "Listen Ahsoka, I know you want to help us, but-", he said before being cut off. "But what Luke? Because I'm injured? I dealt with more dangerous mission, and in way worse condition than I am now. Do you and Sabine think I'm incompetent for this?", Ahsoka argued, now fully facing him. Luke open his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find any words to help Ahsoka understand what he wanted. It wasn't his decision, the force kept screaming at him to keep her safe. "Ahsoka", he finally said, "You being injured isn't the issue. I made the decision for you not to go with us, I just needed Sabine to give a reasonable explanation to why you needed to stay".

"Why? I know you care deeply about me Luke, but why did you think that I should stay. If it's not about my injury, then what is it!?", Ahsoka asked him. Luke closed his eyes for a second, gathering his thought. "I need you to be the last line of defense", he said getting closer to her. "What do mean?. You're coming back", Ahsoka said in disbelief. She noted that Luke was avoiding eye contact, "Luke, what are hiding", she said in suspicion. Luke looked at Artoo, then back at Ahsoka. "I didn't want to tell you until after we have found Bridger", Luke began, "Back on Korriban, your friend Zyon, isn't who he seems to be".

"Luke, he stops anyone from reaching forbidden powers of the darkside. I get he may have said a few offensive things to you, but he is a good man", Ahsoka argued. "Ahsoka, you don't understand", Luke argued back, "He sent the Knights of Ren to the tomb. He is their master. If they somehow followed us, I need you to finish our mission, without interference", he said lowering his voice. Ahsoka couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was a bit suspicious that Zyon was even on Korriban helping the imperial survivors, but she trusted him. They were friends, and she couldn't handle another loss. What Luke was proposing was beyond her imagination. Ahsoka frowned, glaring at Luke, "No, what your saying isn't true, it isn't impossible", she yelled at him. Luke took a step back, he sensed her anger boiling. "Ahsoka", he began. But he was interrupted by Sabine. "Hey", the young Mando said as she entered the room, "It's time to go Luke". There was an uncomfortable silence in the room, but it shortly ended as Sabine quickly left. Leaving Luke, Ahsoka, and Artoo in the cockpit. Luke faced Ahsoka again, only to be greeted with the sight of an angry Togruta. "Get out", Ahsoka said darkly, "Get out!". She raised her hand to open the door behind Luke, signaling him to leave. Luke looked at the floor with a conflicted look on his face, but he quickly hid his reaction. He glance at Artoo, who was siting in the corner. "Take care of her, Artoo", Luke whispered to his little blue droid. Artoo let out a deep chirp, before cautiously rolling towards the Togruta sitting in the center. With that, Luke left the room, not glancing back at Ahsoka. Luke stepped out of the T-6 shuttle, Sabine was already there waiting for him, holding a stormtrooper helmet as part of his disguise. "You ready", she asked as she tossed the helmet towards him. Luke caught the helmet and stared at it, he quickly glanced behind him before putting the helmet on. "Yeah, let's get going".


	16. Ambush

Chapter 15

"Any sign of hostiles?", the voice of Sabine Wren asked. "Negative", Luke replied as he scanned the area around them. Sabine and Luke ran towards the statue, hiding between the mountainous terrain. "There it is", Sabine said in excitement. Luke stared in awe at the statue of Tarre Vizsla, it was taller then he expected it to be. The statue stood 20 meters tall. "Where do you think the entrance is at?" Luke asked Sabine. Sabine started scanning the statue, "There is only one entrance, and its located under the statue's chin", she said once she analyzed. Luke held his breath, "All the way up there?", he asked nervously. "Don't tell me that your afraid of heights", Sabine jokingly asked. Luke shook his head no, "I haven't jumped this high before", he admitted before walking towards the statue. "Hold on, jump? Didn't you bring a ascension gun?", Sabine asked him in disbelief. Luke stayed silent for a moment, "Should I?", was all he said before receiving a blow to the face. "Sniper!", Sabine shouted as she ducked for cover. She threw a smoke grenade to cover them. Sabine crawled to Luke, who was laying on the floor, "Luke!", she shouted. No response from him, she removed his helmet, to welcome the sight of a bleeding unconscious Luke. She quickly checked his pulse, his pulse was there, but it was weak. Another bolt was fired, this time hitting Sabine's arm. Luckily her beskar armor absorbed the concentrated energy.

"Ahsoka!", Sabine yelled into her comlink, "Ahsoka come in! We need back up!". Nothing, her comlink was jammed. "Karabast!", Sabine silently cursed. Suddenly an ear-piercing whistle started ringing inside Sabine's head. In desperation, Sabine threw her helmet off to avoid having her ears bleed to a high frequency. But she suddenly remembered the sniper hiding in the nocturnal surroundings, she reached her hand out to retrieve her helmet, only to be met with another sniper bolt hitting her helmet and flinging it across the terrain. Sabine silently cursed again, and went to grab Luke. She pulled him closer as they went towards a rock that could protect them for a while.

"Your heavier than I expected", Sabine grunted out to Luke. She set him down, and started to take her breath when another sniper bolt came inches from her head. "Karabast", Sabine said. It was a trap, they were surrounded with no where to go. In a last urge of hope, she tried contacting Ahsoka again. "Ahsoka, please! Come in! Ahsoka!".

* * *

"I just can't believe that Artoo. Luke has no right to judge people like that", Ahsoka shouted at the little astromech. Artoo slowly rolled back, away from Ahsoka, giving out a worried chirp. "No, Artooie. I didn't mean to scare you", Ahsoka said softly, "Its just that, I just don't want what Luke told me to be true". Artoo let a questionable beep, asking on what she was referring to. "Artoo, your a droid. You won't really understand the feelings I'm having", Ahsoka told him in a depressing mood, "You won't really understand the pain of betrayal. Of being alone". Ahsoka stared at Artoo. Artoo stood there in silence, seemingly not paying attention. Ahsoka let out a huff of disappointment, and returned to the console. Sabine's last message was a butt dial, she heard the conversation Luke and Sabine were having about the statue and how to open it. She wished she was there with them, and not treated as a fragile person who should believe that she is the last stand between evil.

_"I don't know what to do Artoo. I keep getting the same visions of Padmé dying in childbirth. I don't know what to do. Maybe if I talk with Master Yoda, there's a way to not lose her",_ a voice suddenly said. Ahsoka quickly turned to see Artoo playing a recording of Anakin. "Artoo", Ahsoka said softly before slowly walking towards him. _"There's still good in him, Obi-wan. There's still good...in him",_ Padmé's last dying breath said. "Artoo, turn it off", Ahsoka said in a commanding voice. _"This is our most desperate hour, help me Obi-wan Kenobi, your my only hope",_ the young voice of Leia pleaded. "Artoo!", Ahsoka then shouted, "Turn it off, now!". Ahsoka went to turn him off when Artoo started playing another recording.

_"Do you think we may meet Ahsoka one day, Artoo? I mean, if she's even alive at this point",_ a happy voice of Luke said. Ahsoka stopped her reach for Artoo and started watching the recording. _"There's so much I want to ask her. About father, about the force. Maybe I won't feel alone anymore.",_ Luke's voice was interrupted by Artoo's short artificial beeps and whistles. The holographic image of Luke reached towards Artoo, _"Don't say that Artoo. I'm grateful for you being with me, heck if it wasn't for you and Threepio I would still be stuck on that dust ball of Tatooine doing moisture farming for the rest of my life_ ", the hologram Luke said laughing before embracing Artoo in a hug. _"I just hope she can say the same thing about us if we ever meet",_ Luke said before the recording ended.

Ahsoka stayed silent and looked at the floor with shame. Luke was wanting to meet her, to finally meet the padawan of Anakin Skywalker, to get to know her. And she failed to give him that. Instead, he got two blades almost striking him when they first met, and non stop arguing ever since. She started to feel guilty for not accepting Luke's plea for her to stay, for being angry at him. Their relationship wasn't in a good start, but she had to fix it. She promised to never leave him, and she needed to keep her promise. "Your right Artoo, I'll never be alone", Ahsoka finally admitted, "I have you and Luke now". Artoo let a commotion of happy chirps and whistles, making Ahsoka laugh, "Never underestimate a Droid", she whispered to herself.

"Dammit!", Sabine yelled in frustration. It was no use, they were surrounded. Sabine looked up one last time to see the moons of Mandalore slowly setting. That's when she got the idea. "The statue", Sabine told herself, "If I can get us inside the statue, the snipers won't be able to get us". Suddenly another blaster bolt hit her in the arm, this time penetrating through the beskar armor. Sabine let out a painful yelp before grabbing the unconscious Luke, "Alright. There's only one way to find out if my plan works", Sabine said before raising her gauntlet up to the statue's helmet. Sabine fired her grappling hook and made sure it was secure. In an instant, Sabine took off, with the unconscious Luke in her arms. The two made it just in time before another round of snipers started firing. "Ow", Luke groaned out in pain. Sabine quickly put him down, "Luke your awake! Oh, good timing. I need you to open the statue's doors", she shouted at him over the sounds of blaster fire. Luke stayed confused, not taking in Sabine's command. But he could sense the immanent danger they were in. Luke stretched out his hand towards the clay doors, telling them to open.

The clay doors slowly obeyed Luke's command. The doors finally opened to reveal the dark stair way they had to descend upon. "The doors are open", Luke managed to say as he gasped for air. Sabine started dragging him through the door as she tried to avoid anymore sniper shots hitting her. Luke was now breathing heavily, "Ahsoka...", he muttered out before passing out. The clay doors quickly fell back into place as they lost their connection to Luke. Only inches from his feet. Sabine set him down and also collapsed on the floor. They were safe, for now. Sabine caught her breath, as she too started to pass into darkness.

* * *

Ahsoka was busy putting another patch of bacta pad on her thigh, when she started to get a headache. She started to rub her lekku to relieve the pain. "Ahsoka...", a faint voice pleaded. She stopped rubbing, it was Luke. She then got an image of a bloody Luke collapsed on a dark floor. "Oh no", Ahsoka said gasping. "Artoo, help me bring the ship back online", she shouted at the little blue droid.

Artoo strolled towards the controls as he and Ahsoka tried to fire the engines of the _Jedi Finder_. "We need to get to Luke and Sabine's location. They're in trouble", she stated. But the T-6 shuttle wouldn't move. "Artoo, scan the ship, see what's going on", Ahsoka said. Artoo did an analysis of the situation. He beeped in a mix of surprise and terror at the result. "What do you mean 'We're magnetically locked down!?'", Ahsoka asked in horror. _What if its those Mandalorians, or what if Luke was right about Zyon, and the Knights of Ren?,_ Ahsoka thought to herself. "Artoo, go hide somewhere safe. I'll go check it out", Ahsoka said as she limped her way towards the exit. She called her staff and lightsabers, igniting one in the process. She opened the doors, to expect a group of hostile Mando's or perhaps a group of cultists. But no, she was met with a squadron of New Republic soldiers, and leading them was a familiar green Twi'lek, Hera Syndulla.

"Hera? What's going on", Ahsoka asked confused. Hera stood tall, showing authority in her body language. Yet her eyes betrayed her, and displayed the real emotions. "Commander Ahsoka Tano, in the name of the New Republic and former Alliance to restore the Republic, we hereby declare you to be under arrest", Hera commanded. "What!", Ahsoka shouted in horror, "On what grounds?". Hera stayed silent as she closed her eyes, "You're being charged with treason. Please, come in quietly".


	17. The Sin

Chapter 16

Sabine Wren opened her eyes to see the dark room she and Luke had just entered moments ago. Of course, it wasn't dark anymore, Luke was now awake meditating with his lightsaber. The kyber crystal filled the room with its green glow. "You're finally awake", Luke said to Sabine, still with his eyes closed. "You seem well, especially since you took a sniper to the face", Sabine told him as she tried getting up. "I absorbed most of the energy, it protected me a bit", Luke said as he got out of his meditative stance to help Sabine up. "Thanks", Sabine said to him as she got up. Suddenly she yelped in pain and clutched her arm. "What's wrong?", Luke asked her. Sabine had her eyes shut as she gripped tighter her arm, "One of the sniper bolts penetrated my armor. Hit me in the arm". Luke walked closer to her and grabbed her arm, "Here. Let me help", he said. Sabine quickly nodded, as Luke stretched his hand towards Sabine's wound. Sabine started to feel a sizzling sensation in her arm, as the pain slowly faded, and some skin started to fill the gaping hole, stopping the blood. Then it all stopped. Sabine looked at her wound once Luke let go. "Luke you didn't finished", she said while still looking at her wound, though it now looked like a bruised scar.

"That's how far it'll heal", Luke told her, "Force healing doesn't repair all the damage, only the minimum until we can get you the proper medical treatment on Ahsoka's shuttle". Sabine let out a huff, "Well that's stupid. If it's 'force healing', it should repair all the damage". Luke let out a small chuckle, "That's not how the force works. If force healing was that powerful, my father and mother would still be alive, and Vader would've looked a lot different". Sabine took this in, this was the first time Luke actually talked about his people to her, surely he already spoken with Ahsoka about this. That is if they weren't arguing for most of the time. "So... Is that a good thing?", Sabine asked the young jedi. Luke stayed silent for a moment before answering, "It has its ups and downs", he simply said, "Come on, let's finish what we started", he told her as he gestured toward the level of stairs. "The sooner, the better", Sabine replied. The two looked down the stairwell, and noticed that the only floor was all the way at the bottom. It would take longer than expected, perhaps an hour or so. Luke secretly wished that having Ahsoka and Artoo here would've been a better idea, but something was coming, and they needed to get ready.

"How long do you think we need to take in order to get to the bottom?", Sabine asked Luke. Luke, however, simply replied by jumping into the abyss. "Great, another Jedi who just ignores me. Not the first time", Sabine told herself. She raised her gauntlet to the roof, deploying the grappling hook before going after Luke, into the abyss.

* * *

Ahsoka walked through the corridors of the heavily modified CR90 Corvette, the _Avalon_ , in handcuffs and surrounded by New Republic guards. Leading them was General Hera Syndulla, directing her to a conference room. Once they entered, the guards pushed Ahsoka towards the chair that was seated in the table. Ahsoka grumbled and sat down. The guards then put ankle shackles on her feet. "Is this very necessary?", Ahsoka asked Hera. Hera simply nodded as she then moved on to do some questions for the Togruta. "Ahsoka, do you know why your being charged with treason?", the Twi'lek asked. Ahsoka stayed silent, she knew why, but it was better to find out the real reason why. "I honestly have no clue, Hera, why? Sabine and I are here trying to recover the steps to find Ezra. We did as we were told, we headed to Manaan to capture Luke Skywalker, he escaped. So we decided to continue our search for Ezra. We told you this in the transmission", Ahsoka lied.

"We never received any transmission from you", Hera stated. Kriff, Ahsoka thought to herself, she must have forgotten to tell Sabine to broadcast one. Hera leaned closer to Ahsoka, pulling one of Ahsoka's lekku in the process. "We know you've been helping Luke, and helping a wanted criminal on charges against a government is considered treason", Hera explained. "Is that what he is now? A criminal? The same man that led the Rebellion to freedom, a celebrity for blowing up the Death Star?", Ahsoka questioned. "Ahsoka", Hera began, "He is crossing a line he shouldn't even considered of passing. Where are Sabine and Luke?".

"I. Don't. Know", Ahsoka quickly hissed at her, "I honestly don't know. And if I did, I wouldn't say a word. Don't you want us to find Ezra?", Ahsoka asked her. Hera stayed quiet, pain written across her face. "Of course I want to find Ezra, as much as you do", the Twi'lek answered. "But there are laws, people, they expect Skywalker to follow what the jedi philosophy used to be before the Clone Wars", Hera explained. "And they were flawed", Ahsoka argued, "Jedi are meant to be protectors of the peace, of the galaxy. Not just an army for a government".

"Are you saying that the New Republic is corrupt? That what we fought for is just another Empire?", Hera asked. "No, we fought for liberation. Kanan gave his life, many others gave their lives for hope to end the Empire. I'm not saying the New Republic is corrupt, but how long is this going to last? How long until someone as cruel as Palpatine rises and leads the New Republic into its downfall? How long Hera?", Ahsoka asked as she raised her voice. What she received as an answer was a hard slap to the face. Ahsoka winced in pain as Hera pulled her lekku again. "Then let's hope that doesn't happen now. Mon Mothma just wants Luke to have his order as an ally. She has plans to alter the deal", Hera said to the Togruta, "That is, if we could find him. We sent you to get him, but you decided against it. Why?", she asked. "Why? Because he's right about the jedi, about the politics. We shouldn't be interfering with politics", Ahsoka explained. Hera frowned and let Ahsoka's lekku go. "I'm asking you again, where are Luke and Sabine?", she said in a strong voice. "I already told you. I don't know!", Ahsoka shouted at the top of her lungs, getting up from her chair in the process. This caught the attention of the guards, who all carefully reached for their blasters. Hera extended her arms to stop the guards from reacting.

Ahsoka quietly sat back down, as she started to message her thigh for comfort. "I know your lying Ahsoka", Hera said suddenly, "I know you want to protect Luke, but Sabine is in danger". Ahsoka growled, in danger? Luke would never hurt her, and if he tried, Sabine wouldn't go down without a fight. Hera turned to one of the guards, "Bring me the remains", she commanded. The guard left, before shortly returning with a basket. The basket contained two helmets. "We found these a few miles east from your ship", Hera explained. Ahsoka caught her breath as the helmets of Sabine Wren and Luke Skywalker were displayed to her. Sabine's helmet only appeared to be dented. While Luke's was almost destroyed. A huge gapping hole was in the middle of it. There was a mixture of burnt ash and blood surrounding the hole. "No!", Ahsoka cried out as she reached towards Luke's helmet. The mental image of Luke slowly bleeding to death, and pleading for her to help started to haunt her. "No. This can't be", Ahsoka choked out. Tears started to fall as Ahsoka desperately tried to stay calm. She started to regret all her choices, all her arguments she had with Luke. She wanted to take all of that back, if she only knew Luke would've been dead in a few hours. How could she not sense his death? Did he severed their bond?

A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. "Ahsoka, you need to tell us where they went", Hera said softly. Ahsoka hesitated, but she continued staring at Luke's helmet. "They were headed north east, to a statue, made of clay", she said quietly. Hera gestured to the guards. The guards quickly left the room, assembling a small squadron before heading to the direction that Ahsoka gave them. Shortly after, Hera left the room, leaving Ahsoka all by herself. Ahsoka started to cry, and not just tears, but a full breakdown. "Oh Luke", she whispered to herself, before grasping his helmet closer to her.

* * *

A soft landing echoed in the darkness. "Took you long enough", Luke jokingly said to Sabine. "Hey, we don't all have your powers Luke. I wasn't born force sensitive", Sabine grunted out. "We're all attuned to the force Sabine. It surrounds us, penetrates us, it creates all living things", Luke explained, "Some of us are more opened to it than others". Sabine rolled her eyes at the young jedi's philosophy. "Another jedi thing that I'll never understand", she said nonchalantly. Luke decided to ignore her comment as they headed to the doors in front of them. With a quick movement with his hand, Luke opened the doors to reveal two pathways. "Well this certainly wasn't what I imagined", Sabine said suddenly as she flashed her flashlight towards the two paths. "Its a surprise, to be sure. But a welcomed one", Luke said to the young Mandalorian. "We'll split up. You go left, I'll go right. Then we'll regroup here and create an exit plan", Luke explained, "If I'm correct, you'll encounter the last star map. While I go find the last piece to the long lost map of the first jedi temple". Sabine nodded, and they both headed their separate way. "Sabine!", Luke called out. The young mando turned back to look at him. "May the force be with you", Luke said to her. "Same to you Luke. Try not to die", Sabine jokingly replied as she headed down her set of stairs. "I'll try not to", Luke replied before heading into his own set.

* * *

Ahsoka walked into the prison cell aboard the Avalon, still with her handcuffs and ankle shackles. As she entered her cell, she turned back around to face Hera Syndulla, not saying a word. "Ahsoka", Hera began softly, "I just want to tell you, how sorry I am. I have no choice, if it was up to me, I would've turned a blind eye", she told the Togruta. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to", Ahsoka deadpanned, before walking deeper into the cell. Hera frowned as she ordered the guards to close the doors, before walking away. Ahsoka sat down on the uncomfortable bed, before breaking down in tears again. She couldn't do anything now, she couldn't use the force, she couldn't call Artoo, and Sabine and Luke were thought dead. For the first time in years, she felt helpless, with no hope whatsoever. It reminded her of the time she was framed for the bombing in the jedi temple. "What am I going to do", Ahsoka questioned herself _. "Indeed. Do what, will you?",_ questioned the voice of Master Yoda. "Master Yoda?", Ahsoka shockingly asked, she started to look around the room.

There, in the middle of the room, stood the small green alien jedi, though there was a visible blue glow around him. "Master Yoda, how? I'm disconnected from the force, how can you be here?", Ahsoka immediately asked as she tried to wipe her tears away. _"Hehehe, much to learn from the force, you still have. Yes, much to learn",_ Yoda chuckled at the former jedi learner. "I'm sorry Master Yoda, I failed. I failed in being a jedi, being there for Luke. And now Luke's dead, because I wasn't there to help him", Ahsoka suddenly said looking down in shame. _"Mmm, believe them. Do you?",_ Yoda simply asked as he walked over to Ahsoka. Ahsoka huffed in defeat, surely Master Yoda didn't understand the severity of the situation. "Master Yoda, I saw Luke's helmet. There's no way he would've survived that shot, especially if it was a sniper", Ahsoka argued. Yoda just stared at her, taking everything she rambled on to consideration. _"Conflicted you are, young Tano",_ Yoda suddenly told her, _"But gravely underestimate Skywalker, you do"._ Ahsoka growled in frustration as she got up and limped to another corner of her cell, away from Master Yoda.

Ahsoka hugged her knees as she buried her head into them, silently crying. Yoda felt Ahsoka's discomfort and decided it was best to reveal the truth. _"Alive, he is. Along with your companion",_ Yoda said softly. Ahsoka quickly brought her head up, "They're alive?", Ahsoka asked in disbelief. Yoda simply nodded as he sat down next to her. Ahsoka smiled as tears started falling again, "I need to get out of here", she said in revelation, "I need to find them". Ahsoka got up and started banging on the doors. " _No_ ", Yoda suddenly said out loud. Ahsoka stopped banging the door to face the small jedi master. "No? Master, they need me. Luke needs me. I need him", Ahsoka yelled at the old master, she felt bad for yelling at him. But her instincts were screaming at her to get out. _"Come to you, they will",_ Yoda said slowly, _"Go, and only trouble will you bring",_ he warned her. Ahsoka simply sighed at the old master, but reluctantly agreed. "Alright Master, I'll wait for them here", she said turning to her bed. _"Good. Patience, you must have",_ Yoda said before he started fading. _"Trust in the force",_ he finally said as he vanished. Ahsoka was left alone now. She started making a plan to escape, why wait and let Luke and Sabine get captured when they could all flee. Sure Master Yoda was wise, but he was now one with the force, and Ahsoka isn't one to directly obey orders either.

* * *

Several hours had passed since the arrest of Ahsoka Tano, and there was still no sign of Luke or Sabine. Two guards were making there way to her cell, carrying several medical equipment and a tray of food. General Syndulla had requested that the prisoner be treated well, until they arrived to Coruscant. "Do you actually think she should be charged with treason?", one guard, a female human, asked her male colleague. The other guard simply shrugged, "I don't know. They say she was the first Fulcrum. But that was twelve years ago, people are known to change", he said as he checked the room. "She seems to be sleeping", the man said as he started reaching for his keys. "Still, do you really think so?", the woman began again, "I mean look at what we're doing. We're hunting down our own poster boy, Luke Skywalker. Without him, we'd still be fighting the empire, kriff, the rebellion wouldn't have survived the battle of Yavin", the woman argued. "Mhmm", the man nonchalantly agreed as he inserted his keys into the key slot. "I'm just saying", the woman continued, "We should be helping Skywalker, not be his enemy". The man turned to confront the woman, "Well I agree with you, but he is the only one of his kind. Who would stop him if he ever turned evil? And don't say he won't just because he gave you a sapling as a wedding gift", the man told her.

"You know what I mean", she said as she started moving the medical cart into position. The doors to the cell opened, the man slowly walked in to check on the prisoner. "Hey, wake up. We brought you food and medicine", the man commented to the body in the bed. There was no stir, the body was still covered in its sheets. "Hey!", the man said in a louder tone, "Wake up!". The guard walked closer to the bed, he reached for the sheets to uncover them when he was met with a fist to the face. "What the-", the man shouted before being knocked unconscious by Ahsoka. Ahsoka quickly moved to the woman, the woman pushed the cart to get in between her and the incoming Togruta. But Ahsoka gracefully jumped over it, even with shackles and bind that prevented her connection to the force, she was still physically in shape. "Please, don't hurt me", the woman pleaded in tears. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at the young woman, "Give me one good reason not to", she said in a commanding voice. "I'm pregnant. Two months pregnant, please don't hurt me. I'm a good colleague of Skywalker", the woman said in tears. Ahsoka stopped in her tracks when hearing this, she didn't want to harm someone who was bearing a child. "What's your name?", Ahsoka asked softly. The woman stuttered a bit, "Shara Bey-Dameron", she said quietly.

"Listen Mrs. Dameron, I'll let you go, if you help me", Ahsoka said to the woman on the floor. She gestured her handcuffs and the medical cart, "Free me from these cuffs and shackles, give me one dose of pain relief, then I'll be on my way", Ahsoka slowly said. "Why should I help you?", Shara asked her. "We can help each other. But most importantly, we can help Skywalker. If you free me, I'll be able to help him", Ahsoka explained to her. Shara slowly nodded and grabbed the key holder from her unconscious colleague. She then freed Ahsoka and gave her a dose of painkillers. "What's your child's name?", Ahsoka asked trying to make small talk. "Poe. Poe Dameron", Shara replied nervously. "That's a nice name", Ahsoka commented. She then turned away facing her newly found freedom.

* * *

Ahsoka sneaked pass several guards on her way to her T-6 shuttle. She boarded her shuttle and started looking for Artoo. Her ship was impounded, so it was no use, but luckily the speeders were still intact. She'd just needs to watch out for any snipers. "Artoo!", Ahsoka silently shouted throughout the shuttle, "Artoo where are you?". Ahsoka opened a small closet door in her room, when a huge amount of white smoke met her in the face. "Artoo! Its me, Ahsoka!", Ahsoka shouted. Artoo came out of the small closet, giving a sincere apology in numerous chirps and whistles. "Its okay Artoo. Come on, we need to find Luke and Sabine before they do", Ahsoka declared. Artoo slowly swiftly behind Ahsoka as the two got on the speeder. Ahsoka revved the engine as she and Artoo left the shuttle. Several New Republic soldiers started surrounding them. "Don't let her escape. All weapons set on stun", Hera ordered as she and several other guards raised their blasters. "Alright Artoo, work your magic buddy", Ahsoka said as she aimed her speeder to a free space. Artoo let out a huge white puff of smoke, blinding all of the troopers and guards. Ahsoka quickly set the speeder to maximum speed, as she and Artoo left the New Republic in the dust. "Don't worry Luke, I'm coming", Ahsoka said to herself as they raced to the statue of Tarre Vizsla.

In the distance, the ghostly forms of Yoda, Obi-wan and Anakin watched the Togruta flee into the horizon. " _Listen to me, no one does",_ Yoda grunted. _"Please Master Yoda, she was trained by a jedi who never followed any rules, we shouldn't expect less",_ Obi-wan stated. _"It's true, she learned from the best",_ Anakin said proudly. _"That's not something to be proud of Anakin",_ Obi-wan stated, " _Your lucky Luke didn't turn out like her"._ Anakin chuckled, " _You two wanted my son to kill me. He did disobey you, and ended up saving me, my old masters_ ". Obi-wan simply rolled his eyes, " _Touché, Anakin, touché"._


	18. Discovery

Chapter 17

Luke Skywalker walked down the corridor of Tarre Vizsla's statue, his emerald lightsaber brightening his surroundings. As he walked deeper into the dark path, he heard a soft singing coming from the end of the passageway. He was close, he could feel it. He grabbed his comlink to ask Sabine where she was. "Sabine, what's your current e.t.a?", he asked into his comlink. There was a short static before the young mandalorian replied back, "I'm almost at the door, I estimate a few more minutes".

"Alright, notify me when you are there", Luke said before turning off his comlink. Luke reached the door, he noticed the elegant designs around the door. It seemed to be telling a story, but the language was in ancient Mando'a , and Sabine was occupied at the moment. He touched the stone slab which had the symbol of the jedi order, the floor started to shake as dust started falling from the ceiling. And the doors opened. Luke walked inside the room, still with his ignited lightsaber at hand. His eyes travelled across the room, taking the sight in front of him. That's when he noticed it. The large metallic table in the middle of the room. In the middle of the table was a small black orb which had a faintly blue glow inside. Luke smiled gleefully as he took in his discovery. He reached for the orb when his elbow suddenly hit a button on the table, Luke froze in terror as he slowly removed his arm away from the table. Suddenly a large holo-image popped up. _Of course_ , Luke thought to himself, This is a hologram. An ancient design, perhaps over 3000 years old. _I just hope it still works,_ he wondered to himself. The image displayed was a young blue twi'lek no older than him, then a message started playing:

_"This is Mission Vao, commanding officer of the Republic",_ the blue twi'lek stated. _"Tarre, I hope you have received this",_ Mission paused for a moment as the hologram glitched for a second, " _As you know, the jedi are being attacked by the Trinity of Evil. These new sith, Darth Kreia, Sion, and Nihilus, they're something different from anything we've seen before. Revan is still missing, I hope your master, Bastilla, has told you about him. We hope this new jedi, who calls herself The Exile, may be the key to defeating the sith",_ Mission took a deep breath before she continued, " _I hope everything goes well on your mission to unify the Mandalorians, Zaalbar and Captain Ordo will be there if you need help. And there's something else I need to tell you",_ Mission paused again, this time a small drive popped out of the table. Luke went to grab it, it was very small, he could barely get a grip. He noticed it had a input that fit well into his compass. _"This is the map to the first jedi temple",_ Mission explained, _"Or at least a piece of it. Revan and I found it at the edge of wild space. He claimed it would be the answer to his question of who is really behind all of this. We decided to break the map into several pieces in case the jedi were led to extinction. Which in this reality, is highly possible. We spread the pieces across the galaxy in case one falls into the wrong hands. You are meant to guard this last piece with your life, keep it locked away. Its been prophetized th-",_ Mission's message was then cut off as the old holotable groaned and shut itself off, forcing Luke back. The room was now dark and quiet, the only source of light, was Luke's saber. Luke took the small drive an inserted it to the compass. At the center of the compass was a plasma-encased supraluminite lodestone, it started to glow a bright blue and made a low hum as a hologram of a map started to be displayed. The map buffered for a moment, before it displayed its true beauty. Luke watched in awe as the map started displaying the trail he started on the planet Pillio, and now led to his new destination.

The planet that held the first jedi temple...

**Ahch-to** **_._ **

* * *

Sabine Wren pointed her flashlight to the huge clay door that stood before her. She studied the markings surrounding the door, noting that it was written in Mando'a. It read: Here lies Tarrre Vizsla, a great nobel leader and warrior. _The One to unite two worlds._ "Probably refers to him being the first mando jedi after the Mandalorian-Jedi war", Sabine said to herself. She reached towards the slab that held the Vizsla insignia. The door opened, rumbling everything around her as it opened. As she entered the room, there was an old machine that held a large black orb, no larger than her blaster. She slowly walked towards it, but then stopped as the machine came to life. The machine let out a mechanical groan as the black orb started floating, it let a bright glow as a hologram started to display a message. The message was playing, but Sabine couldn't understand it! It was an unknown language, coming from a species of alien she never seen before. And she knew her species well, both from learning during her time in the imperial academy, and her time in the alliance. This species must be extinct now. Sabine walked around the machine, and she noticed an old computer terminal. "Hopefully this will help", she said in dismay. She started interacting with the computer, but it was useless. It wasn't written in Mando'a or Aurebesh, but the same unknown language that alien spoke.

"What are you hiding in here?", Sabine sarcastically asked the tomb as she tried to think of a plan to extract the data. She then noticed a book, clutched in the arms of Tar Vizsla's armor. "Maybe that's the key", she said in realization. She walked over to Vizsla's armor, the armor was definitely fit for a powerful man, a modified crusader armor in a navy blue paint job with a mixture of black and white detailing, it stood six feet tall, and it made her seem like a child. Sabine grabbed the book that was surrounded by the armor. Dust puffed everywhere as Sabine coughed at the huge amount of dust the book contained. Sabine opened the book, flashing her flashlight towards the pages to see if she could read the knowledge it contained. She was surprised to see Mando'a on the left, and the unknown language on the right. It was a translation book. "Bingo", Sabine said victoriously. She started reading every word the book contained, entering to the world of knowledge of the past.

Luke walked out of his set of stairs, holding the completed compass dearly. He noticed that Sabine still hasn't come out of her own set. "Sabine?", Luke called out. He didn't receive an answer, and he started to worry. Not only about her safety, but the other set of arguments he would receive from Ahsoka. He started walking down Sabine's set of stairs, to notice the faint light of a flashlight casually gleaming the surface. "Sabine", Luke called out again as he entered the room. He saw the mandalorian holding her flashlight in one hand and a large book in another. "There you are", Luke said grabbing the attention of Sabine, "I told you to comm me when you entered", Luke said in a serious voice. "Miss me that much?", Sabine jokingly asked. Luke simply chuckled, "Not really. I mostly afraid of having to endure another one of Ahsoka's rants". Sabine's face fell once Luke mentioned Ahsoka. "You know she's just trying to look out for you, right?", she asked in a stern voice. Luke sighed not meeting Sabine's gaze, "I know she is. I know that deep down, she cares for me as if I was her own blood. But there's many things we disagree on, and we both need to accept each others point of view", Luke said sadly as he looked down to the old machine lying on the floor. "Well you better clean that mess up once we return to the ship. I'd hate to listen to you guys arguing. Its been months since I had a good sleep", Sabine said. Luke looked at her in confusion, "I've only been with you guys for five days?".

"You get the point", Sabine pointed out, "Come on, help me crack this code". Sabine started explaining everything, from the unknown alien species and their unknown language, to the book that held a translation in Mando'a. The two spent a few hours working together before they were finally able to unlock the secret. "The Forgotten Empire", Luke said in awe, breaking the silence. They discovered that the alien species was called Rakata, and they had the most powerful empire until a disease started wiping them out nearly 40,000 years ago. They found a planet almost at the edge of the unknown regions. It had no name, no indication of life, but what it did have was a file on the Purgills and their connection to the Rakata Empire. "I don't believe it", Sabine said in disbelief. "What is it?", Luke asked her as he examined the file. "The Purgills, they originated from that planet. They were used as weapons to conquer the galaxy during this Rakata-Celestial War. They return every year, around the same time they took Ezra", Sabine said excitedly. Luke smiled at her, they were close to finding the lost padawan. "Let's get to it then", Luke said as he started to the exit. Sabine followed suite, still carrying the old book in her arms. Suddenly a loud beeping noise was heard. Luke quickly turned back to Sabine, he noticed the book was flashing red, it was rigged. Sabine quickly threw the book back, when it met the floor, it exploded. A loud explosion blasted Luke and Sabine out of the stair way. The statue started to rumble as large pieces of clay and brick started falling down.

Luke grabbed a nearby boulder with the force and smashed it against the wall, the wall instantly broke, creating a hole large enough for Luke and Sabine to escape. The two jumped into the hole, barely managing to escape. Luke used the force to hurl some pieces of debri away from them. The Statue of Tarre Vizsla finally collapsed behind them, leaving nothing but piles of rocks. The two were now panting hard, laying on the ground. "You know, Ahsoka was right about you", Luke managed to say as he gasped for air. "Oh yeah? And what's that", Sabine responded in the same manner. "You always blow stuff up", Luke replied as he tried holding his laughter. Sabine joined his laugh as she threw a small pebble at him.

* * *

"No!", Ahsoka shouted. She watched in horror as the statue exploded and started to collapse. She was too late. Artoo let out a cry as Ahsoka brought the speeder to a stop. She jumped off the speeder as she covered her mouth to muffle her screams. She fell on her knees, not caring about the faint pain in her thigh. And she started crying. But it was suddenly covered by a soft laugh in the distance. She looked towards the source of the sound, and found two humans lying on the floor laughing. Ahsoka quickly got up and ran to them, Artoo following close behind her. It was Sabine and Luke. "Sabine! Luke!", Ahsoka shouted in relief, the two humans instantly got up in surprise to see the Togruta. "Ahsoka?", they asked in unison. "You were supposed to stay on the ship", Sabine commented before being cut off by a tight hug.

"Oh, I was so worried about you two", Ahsoka said as she hugged Sabine and Luke tightly. She turned her attention to Luke, noticing dried blood across his face and a barely visible scar at the edge of his forehead, she instantly went to caress his face, "By the force, what happened to you? Are you alright?", Ahsoka asked in shock and worry. But Luke didn't answer, his attention was somewhere else. "Luke? Luke are you alright?", Ahsoka asked again. "Ahsoka?", Sabine said getting the Togruta's attention. Ahsoka turned to Sabine and saw what they were staring at. In front of them, was an entire squadron of New Republic soldiers. Hera Syndulla stepped in front of them, raising her blaster, "In the name of the New Republic, you are all under arrest".


	19. The Apprentice

Chapter 18

"I don't believe it", Mara Jade said in disbelief as she watched the footage of Skywalker's arrest on Mandalor. "Don't believe what?", Zyon asked as he entered the room, followed by Ragnos, the half-breed stood tall, he had to crouch to enter the room, making it seem like he was a small Rancor. "My probe droid just transmitted it's recording", Mara explained as she showed Zyon and Ragnos the footage, "Skywalker just likes getting himself into trouble", she grunted angrily. This wasn't good, at least, for her. With Skywalker arrested, she couldn't continue her mission, and she would have to face another round of torture from Rax. Mara flinched at the thought of being electrocuted again until she was left unconscious. "These are New Republic forces, why are they arresting their own hero?", Zyon asked as he pointed to the screen. The screen displayed the young man, the Togruta, and the Mandalorian arguing with the leading officer, who was a green Twi'lek, as they were moved into the modified CR-90 Corvette.

"They're afraid", Ragnos stated as he stared at the black sky. "Afraid?", Mara asked confused about Ragnos's words, "Why would they be afraid of Skywalker? I get he killed the Emperor and Vader, help end the Empire. But we should be afraid of him. Not... them", Mara tried to explained. Ragnos simply chuckled at Mara's attempt for an explanation. "My dear disciple, you must see the bigger picture", Ragnos began, "If what you told me is true, Skywalker is the last of all the jedi. With no sith, or any jedi order, nothing can stop Skywalker from taking whatever he wants. The Republic always had a history of being betrayed, it seems that this new government had learned from its mistakes in trusting the jedi", Ragnos finally explained as he just smiled at the vacuum of space in front of him. "So what should we do now? We can't exactly attack the fleet. We are definitely outnumbered", Zyon stated as he walked over to the resurrected sith lord, "And I don't think your little group of imperials want attention that badly", he said looking over at Mara. "Where are they taking the jedi?", Ragnos asked her. Mara looked at the nava-computer determining the hyperspace route the New Republic fleet would take, and all the ships were facing one direction. Coruscant. _Of course, the heart of the Republic, this is going perfectly_ , Mara sarcastically exclaimed in her mind. "They're heading to Coruscant", Mara said calmly, though internally she was panicking. The mission was already dangerous just following Skywalker and with Rax breathing behind her back, but they now had to go Coruscant, a place filled with enemies. Hopefully Ragnos would reconsider all of this.

"Set course for Coruscant", Ragnos commanded as he kept staring at the black heart of space, observing each asteroid that periodically passed every few minutes. "Are you crazy!?", Mara shouted in horror, "You want us to follow them right into their own base!? That is the most ridiculous plan ever". Ragnos slowly moved his head towards Mara, his yellow eyes glimmering down at her, he suddenly grabbed Mara by the neck lifting her off the ground. Mara desperately tried to cry out. But Ragnos simply tightened his grip on her. "Never underestimate me child. I may be a fraction of my previous self, but I am still powerful. I sense conflict in you, you may have it hidden, but it's there. You are weak", Ragnos got closer to Mara as he whispered in her ear, "And the weak shall suffer a painful death. Never question me or my decision, understand?". Mara nodded as tears started forming in her eyes, Ragnos started to squeeze her neck even more. Mara slowly started to turn purple when Zyon's voice broke the silence. "Ragnos!", Zyon shouted. The sith lord looked at the Master of the Knights of Ren, still with the same glimmering eyes staring right through Zyon's soul. "What is it, Ren?", Ragnos said as he loomed over Zyon. "We should get back to the task at hand", Zyon said holding his ground. Ragnos smiled, "Yes, my apology Ren". Ragnos loosened his grip on Mara, as she collapsed to the floor gasping for air. Zyon extended his hand to help Mara get up, but she swatted his hand away from her as she stayed on the ground. "Set course for Coruscant. I have sense an awakening I haven't felt in a long time. There, we will continue our journey to stop the new jedi order from rising", Ragnos ordered as he exited the cockpit to continue training the other knights of ren. "You alright?", Zyon asked Mara once they were alone. "Just do as he says Ren", Mara spitted back. "As you wish", Zyon replied nonchalantly as he started the hyperdrive.

* * *

**Coruscant- Level 1313**

Marka Ragnos led Mara Jade and Ren through the tight alleyway of the undercity. The Knights of Ren were in charge of putting a tracker on Skywalker or any other of his companions if they are seen, and having the perfect disguise to blend in with the crowd, teenagers. Having been taught how to put a tracking beacon without gaining suspicion by Mara herself, they waited near the senatorial building on the upper level. Back to Ragnos, Mara and Zyon, the three were walking towards a large building in the lower levels of Coruscant. "Who are we going to see?", Zyon spoke up as the three walked inside the building. "I don't know. He changes his name every millennia, but I knew him as a child. I trained him", Ragnos spoke. Mara stayed silent, not wanting another scene like the one aboard the Oubliette-class transport. "We have arrived", Ragnos said as he smiled and opened the door to a large room. The three entered, acknowledging the lack of furniture or color in the room. Pure black, but in the middle was a single chair. The chair had a round base, with a red cushion set between. Zyon noted it was the same style as the chairs in the old jedi chamber in the temple. "I thought I have felt a great disturbance", a voice suddenly said. Ragnos turned to the source of the sound, there at the corner of the room, was a silhouette of an alien. "It is you", Ragnos responded to the creature. The alien slowly came out of the shadow, revealing himself. The alien was tall, almost eight feet by Mara's estimation. And he was slim, very slim. The skeletal hands leading to a black silk robes, perhaps double his size. And despite all that, the alien was handsome. He looked almost human, but bald. He had a clear set of cold blue eyes. "Long, have I waited for you, my old master", the alien spoke.

"Who are you?", Mara said speaking up. She's been on Coruscant many times as a child during Palpatine's career as Emperor, even made a few friends with the locals, despite of hating the Empire. She's been with the Empire destined to become an inquisitor, before that wing of the military collapsed, she's been the Emperor's right hand for years. And not once, has she seen this alien before. "I said, who are you?", Mara asked again as if the alien had no ears. The alien simply smiled,

"I am... Snoke".

* * *

"Snoke eh? That's your new name now?", Marka Ragnos said giving the alien a questionable look, "I see you have survived after all these years my old apprentice", Ragnos suddenly said in disgust. Snoke gave out a cold chuckle, "I have surpassed the sith long ago, I watched the one to truly rival me perish in the hands of his own apprentice", Snoke said as he slowly walked around the sith lord. "Tell me, Ragnos, why are you here. You aren't here to kill me, and my goals are beyond your understanding, I have Skywalker where I want him. I manipulated the supreme chancellor into giving out an arrest warrant for my jedi friend, and now, he lays in a jail cell", Snoke let out a small laugh as he leans closer to the group. "Why are you here?". Ragnos stared directly at Snoke. Despite his physical advantage, he would be in no match for his old apprentice. The sith will live in the next generation, and stronger than ever. "I want Skywalker", Ragnos said with authority in his voice. "Oh", Snoke replied amusingly, "I believe I cannot allow that. You see, I want Skywalker as my own, to become my apprentice. When I saw him, I saw what all masters lived to see. Raw, untamed power. He may claim to be a jedi, but I sense the darkside luring in him. I waited, watched in the background for years as he grew in strength. I watched as he helped the Chosen One end the sith. And now he believes he can restore the jedi for what they once were, peace keepers", Snoke suddenly raised his hand extending it towards Mara and Zyon.

Mara and Zyon were both slammed into the wall, they tried to move, but they were pinned down by the invisible grasp of the force. "Its just you and me now Ragnos. And you can't defeat me, I sensed your resurrection and I know you are not the same being that trained me as a child. No, you are but a mere fraction of your past self. Tell me, my old master, why should I let you take Skywalker. You already have a handful with these two, an assassin and a dark jedi", Snoke snarled at his old Master. Ragnos chuckled at Snoke's attempt to scare him, he himself grabbed the alien by the neck, lifting him up from the ground. "You think you scare me 'Snoke'?", Ragnos asked amusingly, "I will get Skywalker. Not take him as my apprentice, but to be the host for my spirit. With his powers and my will, I'll become unstoppable. Not even you could defeat me". Snoke snickered again as he let go of Mara and Zyon. The two fell to the ground with a great thud as they both yelped in surprise. "I have seen many generations of sith, each getting stronger. But I remain in the shadow to learn from them and their feeble mistakes. Darth Sidious and Darth Vader were the last of their kind. The modern sith have perished, but the darkside will rise again", Snoke said as he lowered his voice in a whisper, "Unfortunately for you, my old master, you won't be around to see it. Not even as a spirit". Ragnos tossed Snoke into the wall in anger, creating a large dent to the metal wall. But Snoke just laughed it off as if it was nothing. "You may try to take Skywalker, but you will fail. You will be struck down by his blade, I have foreseen it", Snoke said mockingly.

Ragnos turned to leave the room, before he left he stared at the alien one last time. "How about you hide in your little hell hole and wait for your turn. You are an expert in shying away from things. Just like the weak", Ragnos replied with the same mockingly tone. The three walked away from the building, still hearing the echoes of laughter coming from Snoke. "Ren, prepare the ship. Assassin you go and check on Ren's knights. Come back once they have placed a tracker on Skywalker", Ragnos ordered. "Yes, master", Mara said hesitantly as she walked towards a shuttle heading to the capital. "Skywalker will be mine", Ragnos said as he watched Mara walk away, "Nobody will stop me".

* * *

**Coruscant- Refurbished Senatorial building**

_Smash!_ Sabine Wren's fist hit the table hard enough to leave a dent. She was locked in a cell room, dull and gray. She was strapped to a chair, with handcuffs attached to a large metal table. "This is ridiculous Hera", Sabine said in a dark tone towards the Twi'lek general, "Why should I get arrested for helping him?", she asked in a tone of annoyance. "Sabine, you and Ahsoka were supposed to catch him, and come directly back", Hera stated, "Instead you went on a wild goose chase on business you won't say". Sabine rolled her eyes at Hera's comment, only to be smacked on the head. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, young lady", Hera ordered. Hera then turned to Ahsoka who was also chained next to Sabine. "Ahsoka, why did you disobey direct orders. Whose idea was this?", Hera asked the Togruta. "It was my decision, Sabine had nothing to do with it", Ahsoka declared. Sabine was about to interrupt, but Ahsoka raised her hand to silence her. "You're hiding something, aren't you", Hera said accusingly. "We're not hiding anything", Ahsoka and Sabine said in unison. Hera groaned at the obvious sign of them lying but decided to ignore it. She was as just as uncomfortable as they were. "At least tell me why you were on Mandalore?", Hera tried reasoning with them. "We were there to find the location of a planet where Ezra might be on", Sabine grunted out. Hera looked at the young Mandalorian for a moment to study her body movement, and she noticed that she was telling the truth. "Tell me where this planet is Sabine. We can send in a search group there while we manage things here", Hera ordered. Sabine shook her head in a firm no, "You'll have to torture me to get it", Sabine said in dismay.

"Sabine Wren, we are not the Empire here. We're trying to help you", Hera argued. "With this?", Sabine barked back. She lifted her arms to show the Twi'lek the handcuffs on her and on Ahsoka to prove her point. "Luke Skywalker helped us find clues that would've took us a decade to find", Ahsoka pointed out, "He is a war hero to the rebellion. Why are you treating him as a criminal?", she asked the green Twi'lek. "A war hero, in a time of peace", Hera corrected her, "And we aren't treating him or the both of you as criminals". Ahsoka couldn't help but smack her lips at the Twi'lek. Not as criminals? Then why the hell arrest us for 'treason'?, Ahsoka mentally argued. "Come on Hera, we need to be there for Luke. So he can help us find Ezra, and so that he can start his jedi order", Sabine spoke up, "Jacen is going to need a teacher ". Hera growled at the mention of her half breed son, "Jacen doesn't have the force".

"Yes he does", Sabine argued back, "I saw him lifting those building blocks I gave him on his Life day. And he needs someone who can teach him how to handle his power. Whether it be Luke, Ahsoka, or Ezra once we find him". Hera took all of this in, she knew Jacen would soon start having the same abilities as his father before him. But right now, she had a job to do. Hera was about to speak again when a officer came in. "General Syndulla, they're requesting your presence on the council immediately", said the officer. Hera nodded to the officer and turned her attention back to Sabine and Ahsoka. "We'll discuss this later", she said before following the officer. Ahsoka and Sabine stayed silent as Hera left. Once she left, Ahsoka spoke up. "What planet did you find in that statue?", Ahsoka asked the young Mandalorian. "A place called Rakata Prime, deep in the unknown regions. And most likely uninhabited", Sabine replied. "I hope we get out soon", Ahsoka said nonchalantly, "I just hope Luke has better luck".


	20. The Trial

Chapter 19

The cell doors opened to reveal Mon Mothma standing in the center. Luke Skywalker sat in the corner of his jail cell, handcuffed to the wall next to him. "Now that you have been detained, I was hoping we could strike a deal Skywalker", Mothma said in a hollow monotone. "We both know you didn't have to go this extreme to get me", Luke replied, "And you know, as much as I do, that there will be no deal". Mon Mothma signaled the guards to release him from his chains. The guards did as they were told and released Luke from his chains. Luke rubbed his wrist as they were purple for the lack of oxygen his good hand was getting. "Why don't you join me for a walk, Master Jedi?", Mothma invited. She gestured towards the exit, waiting for Luke to follow. Luke cautiously followed Mon Mothma towards the exit. The guards that were guarding his cell followed in suite. The two walked towards a small garden located near the north exit, the old jedi temple visible in the background. Luke observed Mothma's body language as they walked through the small jungle filled with exotic flowers. She was cautious, no, scared. But of what? Surely Luke's presence didn't create an uncomfortable feeling towards others. Luke then set his eyes the corners of the garden. He noticed several armed guards with their weapons ready in case if anything happened. "You know, all of this really isn't necessary", Luke smugly said, "Even with all your guards, its no comparison to the force". Mon Mothma quickly turned to face the young jedi. "It's just a precaution", she stated.

"Now", Mothma started saying, "I wanted to discuss in private, the future you will have here with the Republic". Luke took in her words for consideration before speaking his mind, "I will start talking, as soon your guards leave us to have this 'private' conversation", Luke said dryly. Mothma's expression displayed a bit of worry, so Luke decided to change his tone a bit, "I'll keep my handcuffs on if that makes you comfortable", he added. Mothma's expression calmed down a bit, she signaled the guards to leave them alone. The guards reluctantly walked away, still very cautious around Luke. "Now, can we speak?", Mon Mothma asked the young Jedi. Luke nodded as the two continued walking through the garden. "Why are you doing this", Mothma spoke, "Why are you not following the only tradition the jedi of the past were known to do? Why hide the truth of what happened aboard the second Death Star", Mothma stopped for a brief moment before speaking softly, "I know about your relation with Darth Vader, Luke. He is your father, Anakin Skywalker, isn't he?". Luke froze in his path, his faced turned paled. How did she know?, Luke internally panicked, How? Who told her!? Inside her own cell, Ahsoka could feel Luke's disturbance, she instantly got worried about Luke's sudden outburst of emotions. "Luke, are you alright?", Ahsoka asked him through their bonds. But Luke didn't respond to her, he just pushed Ahsoka's comment to the back of his head. He held his breath as Mon Mothma kept talking about the laws Luke had broken when he decided to run.

"How", Luke said interrupting Mon Mothma's speech. Mon Mothma looked at him puzzled for a moment, "How what?", she asked. Luke held his breath, did he really hear this? Or was it all his imagination? No, I definitely heard her say it, Luke told himself. Luke took of breath of confidence before he spoke up. "How did you know...", but Luke paused again. He noticed someone. In the background, far from the garden stood a hooded figure, the figure stood at least six feet tall. "My boy", the figure said in a raspy voice. Luke's eyes widen, the figure was talking to him through the force. No physical movement coming from his mouth. "Who are you?", Luke questioned the figure. There was a sudden flash that lasted for a few seconds, and suddenly, Luke's surroundings had changed. There was no longer the beautiful garden or Mon Mothma next to him. They were replaced by several hooded figures chanting an ancient language. Lightning flashed across the sky. The figure standing in front of Luke was replaced by a giant throne made of stone. There sat a man, covered in white shiny armor. _"We will meet one day, Skywalker",_ the man on the throne said, " _Unfortunately, it would be some time until that day arrives. In the meantime, I come to warn you",_ the man stated as he slowly got up. "Warn me? First, I like to know who you are, what is this place? How do you know me?", Luke demanded. But the man simply ignored Luke's desire for answers. _"You will be betrayed by the one known as Ahsoka Tano, she will become the lady of the Sith. She awaits until you finally lower your defenses to her"_ , the man declared as he walked closer to the young jedi knight. "No", Luke responded in horror _, "The Sith have been wiped out. Ahsoka would never turn to the darkside"._ The man let out a deep laugh as his eyes started to glow yellow. _"She is consumed by the darkness that lies within her. She has resurrected an ancient threat, known as Marka Ragnos. She desires your death! I suggest you hurry to free yourself and seek to eliminate this threat immediately!"._

* * *

A sudden flash brought Luke back into reality. He glanced his surrounding to welcome the sight of the garden and Mon Mothma with her hands near her blaster. "Master Skywalker, are you alright?", asked the Supreme Chancellor. "I'm fine", Luke said trying to sound convincing. "Can you call an emergency meeting Chancellor Mothma?", Luke said in a hurry. Mothma was surprised to hear that Luke had agreed to her terms. Sure, he did zone out for a bit, and was very pale when she mentioned Vader, but there was no other way. Mothma grabbed her comlink with a small smile, "Lieutenant Holdo, please inform your superiors that we'll start an emergency meeting immediately", she said while looking at Luke, "Alright, let's go and set things straight once and for all".

* * *

**Coruscant- High Command Senatorial Building**

"Let the record show that Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, has turned himself over peacefully to the New Republic. What happened on Mandalore shall not be mentioned in the history records", the commanding voice of Wedge Antilles stated, "Let the meeting begin". Luke stood in front of the Republic High Command. His gaze fell on Leia, who had a conflicted, yet worried look on her face. "Master Skywalker, you are aware of the laws you have broken these past few weeks. What is your defense?", asked the Mon Calamari, Admiral Ackbar. "I know that my actions may have been seen in the wrong way", Luke began, "But my standpoint is clear. I won't enlist my Jedi Order as part of the New Republic. But I've decided that it would be a smart choice to become close allies, and I assure you all, that if the New Republic is ever attacked by a hostile threat, I will do everything in my power to protect this government which I helped established". Many aboard the high council started murmuring between themselves. Mostly in negative thoughts.

"Why have you not changed your viewpoint?", asked General Airen Cracken. "If I say that the Jedi Order becomes part of the government as its been done in the past, how long will it last?", Luke asked in a sincere tone. "Are you accusing us that we will ever turn against you?", Cracken asked again. "No, I'm not accusing anyone", Luke quickly defended, "But how long until someone as corrupt as Palpatine decides to bring both parties down. We won't be here forever, this may happen years after we all die, I'm just trying to protect both sides in the long run", Luke explained. The High Council all started murmuring again. And from what Luke could here, they started talking in his favor. A loud banging echoed the room, as Mon Mothma used her gavel to bring everyone back together. "Order!", Mon Mothma shouted. Everyone immediately fell quiet to allow Mon Mothma to speak up. "Master Skywalker and I have agreed to terms that I believe the committee members can agree upon. This treaty will allow Skywalker's Jedi Order to independently establish itself apart from the New Republic, but will help whenever the New Republic is in any trouble", Mon Mothma said as she raised her voice for a vote, "All in favor, say aye, all opposing say nay".

Leia was the first to shout out aye, followed by Lando Calrissian, Wedge Antilles, Gial Ackbar, and lastly Hera Syndulla. However, others started to shout to oppose the treaty. These were Baccam Grafis, Airen Cracken, and Pitt Onoran. There was a sudden silence to the opposing sides as Mon Mothma called in lieutenant Holdo to count the vote. The 16 year old apprentice to Leia Organa walked over to the Chancellor, giving her the voting results. Mon Mothma read the results, with a hint of a smirk in her face. "Judging by the number of votes, which was by a landslide, the New Republic Council has decided to accept Luke Skywalker's proposal in having the Jedi Order as simply a close ally towards the New Republic", Mon Mothma declared as Luke let out a sigh of relief. _Good_ , be thought to himself, _that's one less thing to worry about._ "You're forgetting one thing, I'm afraid", the voice of Airen Cracken said. Everyone in the room stared at him, not saying a word. "What am I forgetting Cracken?", Mothma asked the elderly man.

"What happened aboard the second Death Star? Skywalker didn't truly say anything other than the fact that he is hiding something. The Senate wants to know the truth! This is why we even called him hear in the first place", Cracken stated to the rest of the council. Luke instantly went pale again, would Mon Mothma tell them? If she knew that Vader was his father, would the other high commanders know? The only ones to actually know were Lando and Leia. If his secret was out, and if they knew that Leia was his sister, it would bring danger to his entire family. Not to mention his nephew Ben Solo, who was probably wrapped in the arms of Han back at the apartment. "Now hold on there", Lando spoke up, "We've already covered this in the previous case. Skywalker said what happened wasn't shown in the film presented to us".

"But was it the truth?", Cracken argued. He gave his attention to Mon Mothma who had a conflicted expression planted on her face. "Chancellor Mothma, what do you say about this?", Cracken asked. Mon Mothma set her eyes on Luke, and then at Leia. What was she going to do? Both of the twins were kept hidden from her, not even Bail Organa mentioned Leia's true origins to her. She wanted to outright expose them, to show the galaxy that the heroes of the rebellion belong to a man that betrayed the Republic. But her gut was telling her not to say anything. Padmé was her best friend, she would've trusted her with the secret. And Anakin, he was manipulated by a corrupted man. Would she really endanger a family that has gone through so much just for the sake of it? _No_ , Mothma said to herself, _the Skywalker's have already dealt with so much pain. And if they were Padmé and Bail's wishes to keep that a secret, I will not betray their wishes._ "What ever happened aboard that Death Star will forever be a mystery. But I can assure you all, that we can trust Skywalker, the footage from a few weeks ago has been viewed as a trap from the Empire", Mon Mothma finally declared. Luke and Leia let out a huge set of air that they didn't know they were holding. _We're going to be ok,_ Luke told her in relief through the force, _Our secret is safe._

"From this point forward", Mothma continued, "All charges against Skywalker and his companions are now dropped. Case dismissed".


	21. To Trust or not to Trust

Chapter 20

**Coruscant** **\- Solo's Residency**

Luke sat on the couch at the Solo residency rethinking about the events that just happened. He was free now, the New Republic and his still to be made Jedi Order have made peace. But now Luke was facing another problem. How did Mon Mothma know about Anakin being Vader and his connection to him and Leia? Most importantly who was that man that appeared out of nowhere, and why did he warn him about Ahsoka and a long dead sith? Luke was lost in concentration, not noticing when Leia had walked in with a sleeping Ben Solo in her arms. "Hey", Leia said softly scarring the distracted Luke. "Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you coming", Luke apologized as he got up to help her. "It's fine Luke. What's important is that you don't have the New Republic breathing down your neck now. And you can do anything you want", Leia smiled as she handed her sleeping baby to Luke. Luke carefully held Ben in his arms, he could feel the immense power coming off from his young nephew. "Where's Han and Chewie? I haven't seen them around" Luke asked in realization. The apartment seemed empty without the scoundrel and his wookiee companion doing who knows what with Threepio or the crazy imaginative adventures they'd be telling Ben to fall asleep. "They're off-world", Leia responded, "Presumably going to Kashyyyk to see Chewbacca's family".

"Wait. Chewbacca has a family?", Luke asked in surprise. After years of knowing the wookiee, he never heard Chewbacca mention anything of a family. Perhaps there was more than what meets the eye for the wookiee scoundrel. "I was surprised as you are Luke", Leia responded with as much awe as him. "Why didn't you go with them? You know, to let little Ben see his wookie uncle's family?", Luke asked his twin sister. Leia's face fell when Luke had asked her. Did he forget? He was the reason she was still here after all. "Remember Luke, I had to be present for your trial", Leia said slowly. Luke's face fell when he heard her words. Of course she had to be here, it was mostly his fault. She should've been with Han, caring for Ben near a beautiful lake on Naboo, or teaching her political apprentice everything she knew about politics. But no, she had to be here for him, for his actions for walking out of the New Republic. That's when his thoughts started coming back. "Leia", Luke said cautiously, "Did you ever tell Mothma about our Father?". Luke knew how sensitive Leia was about the topic of Vader. He remembered that she complained to him when Anakin had visited her a week prior to Ben's early arrival, and how she screamed at her father for torturing her and Han, and for hurting Luke. He remembered the few things Leia had said in the heat of the moment, and they weren't good. "Luke, you know how uncomfortable I am with this subject", Leia responded, "I never told anyone except for Han, Chewbacca and Lando".

Luke took his sisters words in disbelief. If Leia never told Mothma, who did? _"Betrayed by the one with the name of_ _Ahsoka_ _Tano_ _",_ the man's words echoed in his head. Luke shook his head as he tried to clear the voice in his head. _Ashoka? She can't be, she didn't even know that I existed,_ Luke mentally argued. Ben started to stir in his uncle's arms _. He must feel my thoughts,_ Luke thought in realization. He handed Ben back to Leia, who gladly accepted him. "Do you think anyone else knows about, us. And Vader?", Leia asked worriedly. She didn't want anyone else finding out about her being related to Darth Vader. Let alone having her son threatened because of his grandfather. "The only ones to know, outside our little family, is just Ahsoka and Sabine", Luke replied. "You told them!", Leia shouted in horror. Her sudden outburst had awakened her baby, Ben started crying as Leia desperately tried to calm him down. "They needed to trust me Leia, and Ahsoka found out before we even met", Luke argued defending his actions. "Wait, wait, wait. Ahsoka knew about you? About us, before even meeting you?", Leia suddenly questioned. Luke realized what he just said, it was true. Ahsoka knew about Anakin, once she heard his name, it didn't take long to connect the pieces. "You don't think she told Mothma?", Leia asked again, this time more softly as she successfully calmed Ben down. It was possible, after all she was the first Fulcrum. And the Fulcrum class was known to be loyal to the Rebellion, even killing other rebels just to keep their names clean. But would Ahsoka really do that? As far as Luke knew, Ahsoka cared about him. She wouldn't do anything to hurt him or Leia.

_"She desires your death!",_ the same voice echoed again. Luke mentally pushed the voice to the back of his head, it couldn't be that, it couldn't. Ben started crying again, this time even louder. _He must sense the darkness surrounding the voice,_ Luke realized. If what the voice told him was true, then Luke would need to watch his back. He'll have to postpone his journey to Ahch-to and do his best to protect Leia and Ben. C-3PO and R2-D2 suddenly came barging in, "Oh dear, Princess! Princess, I bring terrible news!", Threepio said worriedly. "What's the matter Threepio?", Luke quickly asked. Threepio jumped back, not noticing the young jedi. "Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry Master Luke. Forgive me for not noticing you here", Threepio said in a apologetic manner. "It's okay Threepio, what's the matter?", Luke asked the golden protocol droid.

"I have received a transmission from Captain Solo. Apparently, he and Chewbacca have encountered a group of pirates called the Guavian Death Gang. They are causing some trouble to the Kashyyk system. He's been asking for your presence Princess", Threepio explained. "Tell Han I'll be there shortly", Leia responded. Leia walked to her holo-table and requested for Amilyn Holdo. "Why did you asked for Ms. Holdo?", Luke asked confused. "I need someone to watch over Ben for a while, while I'm off-world", Leia explained.

"I could stay here and watch over him", Luke offered. He just became an uncle, wheres the harm in trying to build a little bond? "No offense Luke, but your still new to this whole Uncle thing. And you still need to go with Ahsoka. Even if we don't trust her", Leia remarked. Luke let out a short sigh, Leia was right. He made a promise to them to still be going with them, this time however, he needed to be extra cautious around the Togruta. "You're right Leia. I should be going", Luke said as he gave his sister a soft kiss on the forehead. He did the same to Ben as he headed for the exist. "Be safe on your travel Master Luke", Threepio said as Luke headed out the door. Luke simply winked at the protocol droid he had met all those years ago on Tatooine. "Come on Artoo, we don't want to be late", Luke said to the little blue droid strolling next to him. Artoo let out a worried whimper before following Luke.

* * *

  
**Coruscant** **-Capital Building Landing bay.**

Luke and Artoo walked to the platform leading them to Ahsoka's shuttle. Luke was having a hard time going over everything that happened. " _She will betray you Skywalker. She awaits until you lower your defenses!",_ the mans voice echoed through his skull. _Get out of my head!,_ Luke shouted to the man. Artoo noticed that Luke was shaking his head as if he had a headache. Artoo let out a worried beep concerning Luke's health. "I'm fine Artoo", Luke said a little coldly. Luke and Artoo walked through a crowd of running teenagers. The kids started pushing and shoving Luke and Artoo out of the way. "Hey watch it!", Luke yelled at the kids. The teenagers ran past them as they brushed their hands over him. "I hate inner core kids", Luke scolded to himself. Luke suddenly felt his belt has gone lighter. He pat himself down to notice that his lightsaber was gone. "Those bastards!", Luke shouted.

Luke searched everywhere for his lightsaber. _How could I be so stupid,_ Luke mentally argued. Artoo let out a loud chirp to get Luke's attention. Luke turned around to see his little astromech droid shifting side to side as Luke's lightsaber laid on the floor next to him. "Good job Artoo", Luke said in relief. He was about to grab it when a slim hand grabbed it first. Luke looked up to the owner of the hand to see a beautiful young women no older than him. The woman had striking red hair, but most importantly she had striking green eyes. It almost resembled his lightsaber crystal. And although her scarf hid most of her features, Luke noticed that she was quite physically attractive as well. "I'm sorry miss, that belongs to me", Luke said softly. The woman kept her gaze at him, and slowly extending his lightsaber towards. "Its an honor to meet The Luke Skywalker", the woman said in a soft voice. The two stared at each other for a moment. Her fingers wrapped tightly around Luke's weapon. But then she loosened her grip. She winked at him before handing the lightsaber to him and walking away. Luke felt himself blush as the red head walked away. Artoo let out a artificial snicker as Luke glared at his companion. "Let's get going Artoo. And don't even think about quoting Lando. The last thing I want to say to someone attractive is comparing them to pilot tales of space angles".

* * *

Mara watched as Luke Skywalker walked away with his astromech. Luckily the Knights of Ren were able to distract him long enough for her to place a tracking device on his lightsaber. She didn't know why she felt, awkward, around him. She should hate him after all. _Pull yourself together Mara, he took away the only family you ever knew,_ Mara scolded at herself, _I shouldn't have these sort of feelings. He is your enemy._ She saw how Luke was checking her out, and she even noticed his blush when she winked at him. The knights, still disguised as civilians walked up to her. "Looks like Mr. Jedi over there seems to like you", Kuruk said in a sarcastic tone. Mara rolled her eyes at the young knight's comment. Why do they have to be so immature?, Mara questioned herself. "Let's go, inform Ren and Ragnos that we placed the tracker", Mara ordered as she walked away.

* * *

**Coruscant** **\- Landing Platform**

Ahsoka and Sabine sat impatiently as they waited for Luke to comeback. "He should be here any minute now Ahsoka", Sabine said as she noticed the Togruta getting worried. "He said he needed to take care of a few things", she added. "That was two hours ago Sabine!", Ahsoka shouted. An immediate silence filled the room. "Sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you", Ahsoka said apologizing for her sudden outburst, "Its just, I'm worried about him", she said trying to clarify her action. She got up and walked around for a bit, checking the shuttle for anything out of place. "Hey, he's here", Sabine announced. Ahsoka past her, she was lucky that her thigh was no longer stinging with pain. She noticed the young jedi with a conflicted, yet cold expression. "Luke, there you are. Where were you?", Ahsoka asked. "Somewhere", Luke simply replied. "Hey Luke, just to let you know, to make up for all the rules we broke, we gotta get Thrawn as well. Your familiar with him, right?", Sabine asked the jedi as he walked past them. "Artoo will fill me in with his details", Luke said coldly. The two women watched in disarray as Luke simply entered the _Jedi Finder_ with Artoo rolling behind him. "What's up with him?", Sabine asked Ahsoka. Ahsoka simply shrugged, she didn't know why Luke was now acting so cold, when a few hours ago he was the nicest and sweetest guy. "I don't know, but we should continue on our journey", Ahsoka replied to the mandalorian, "Where's our next stop?".

"Rakata Prime".

* * *

**Hyperspace- Location Unknown**

Ahsoka stood on a pile of corpses, her lightsabers dangling from her belt. Lightning flashed across the sky as rain started pouring down. _"Stop this_ _Ahsoka_ _! This isn't you!",_ Luke shouted at her from afar. Ahsoka let out an inhuman scream as she charged at him and Sabine. _"_ _Ahsoka_ _it's us!",_ Sabine shouted desperately. Sabine took her blasters out. and started firing stun rounds at the running Togruta. Ahsoka evaded each blast and ignored her friend's plea, as she continued to charge at them with inhumane speed. Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers and stabbed Sabine in the chest. Sabine let out a blood curdling cry before collapsing to the floor. _"No!",_ Luke shouted in horror. Ahsoka then moved on to Luke when his green blade intercepted her white blades. _"_ _Ahsoka_ _please, this isn't you! I feel the good in you!",_ Luke struggled to say as Ahsoka removed her blades from their locked position. The two continued to fight, but Luke struggled to hold his position. Ahsoka was just too fast, everytime he went to strike, she would dodge and kick him in the face. _"There is no good Skywalker! It is time for the Jedi to end, and for the new sith order to rise!",_ Ahsoka shouted in a deep voice. The two continued to exchange blows as they were now moving to a more opened space. _"If you will not turn to the_ _darkside_ _Skywalker, then perhaps Ben Solo will!",_ Ahsoka said as she threw a large boulder at him. _"Never!",_ Luke shouted as he dodged the boulder. He lunged at Ahsoka, tackling her to the ground. The two wrestled to gain the upper hand. Luke managed to use his cybernetic hand as an advantage as he squeezed one of Ahsoka's lekku. The Togruta grunted as she was momentarily paralyzed, Luke used this advantage to call Ahsoka's lightsabers towards him, pinning her in the process. _"Please, don't make me do this_ _Ahsoka_ _",_ Luke cried out to her. Ahsoka let out a deep chuckle as she laid on the floor. _"Foolish Jedi, I was just a distraction!",_ Ahsoka said before twisting her neck to an odd angle, breaking it in the process. _"No!",_ Luke shouted in horror as blood landed on his face. Before he could react further, a sharp stinging pain entered his chest, he looked down to see a red blade had stabbed him in the chest. _"Your mine, Skywalker",_ a deep voice said before everything went dark.

* * *

Luke let out a blood curdling scream as he woke up from his nightmare. He instinctively checked his chest, but found no stab wounds. He looked at his surroundings, the room was dark, save for the occasional flash coming from Artoo's charging port. Luke's face was wet as he wiped off the excessive amount of sweat he received during his sleep. Was this a vision? He remembered having these sort of nightmares on Dagobah when he was still learning the ways of the force with Master Yoda. And even then, the visions did more harm than good when Luke acted on it. Would it be the same in this situation? _Trust in the force, find answers in places of knowledge_ , the wise words of Master Yoda reminded him. Luke took a deep breath before sitting himself upright. He called one of his holocrons he had collected earlier and used the force to open it. _"This is Master_ _Bastilla_ _Shan",_ the feminine voice said, _"What wisdom do you wish to learn, young one?"._ Luke thought for a moment, would this holocron contain some answers? He hoped it would. "Tell me everything you know about Rakata Prime", Luke said cautiously. The holocron did not respond immediately, it buffered as it searched for the answer. _"Rakata Prime",_ Bastilla finally said, _"Its a place every jedi should avoid. Let me recap the dark history of that place. Thousands of years ago, the_ _Rakatan_ _used a super weapon called the Star Forge. They used the_ _Starforge_ _, as well as creatures called_ _Purgills_ _to take over the galaxy. Now the Star Forge wasn't just some machine, no, it craved for hunger. It used the_ _darkside_ _like nothing we ever seen before. The_ _Rakatan_ _were strong in the dark side of the force. Even their planet is still filled with shadows of the past. Unfortunately, the_ _Rakatan_ _evolved to the likes where they could no longer use the Star Forge. The force no longer allowed them to",_ Bastilla explained in a serious tone.

"What happened to the Star Forge? ", Luke asked. If Rakata Prime was naturally a planet filled with power of the dark side, perhaps taking Ahsoka there would not be a smart choice. " _The Star Forge made its reappearance thousands of years later, it was under the control of Darth_ _Revan_ _and Darth_ _Malak_ _. Luckily their rule didn't last very long. An allied jedi and republic strike team along with the Ebon Hawk's crew managed to destroy the Star Forge and end the sith lords",_ Bastilla replied firmly. Luke took this all in, if the star forge was tuned to the force without it being a sentient being, than perhaps the dark side must really be strong on Rakata Prime. "What can you tell me about Marka Ragnos?", Luke asked the holocron. He remembered that the mysterious man had claimed that Ahsoka had resurrected him during their stay on Korriban. The holocron buffered again, but this time it gave no answer. Luke repeated his words, but the holocron still wouldn't answer.

_"Use my knowledge, I beg you",_ a deep menacing voice said suddenly. Luke jumped in surprise as the jedi holocron fell to the floor. He looked over to the sound of the voice, it was coming from one of the other holocrons he had collected. Specifically, the sith holocron from Korriban. Luke used the force to bring it to his hand. The red pyramidal holocron slowly settled in Luke's hand. The holocron started to glow, as the faint whisper got louder and louder. Luke read about how to open these sort of holocrons from another jedi holocron. He learned that one should never open it, no matter what is said. _But maybe this will contain some answers,_ Luke thought to himself.

Quietly, he got off the bed and sat on the floor. He placed the sith holocron in front of him, the red light slowly started to increase. Luke closed his eyes, as his mind focused on the holocron. He used his anger, hate, his fear to open the holocron. Luke shook violently as sweat started to deteriorate all over his face. He kept his focus on the holocron as the room started getting colder by the second. Luke was almost going to claim defeat when the sharp and menacing voice came through. _"What is thy biding, apprentice?",_ the voice said sinisterly. Luke opened his eyes to see a hooded cloak coming from the holocron. He let out a deep breath before speaking, "Teach me, everything".

* * *

Ahsoka sat in the cockpit meditating on recent events. She needed to find a way to apologize to Luke. The way he had came back worried her, did someone say something offensive to him? Or did he have to fill in a new promise just like her and Sabine had to with adding Thrawn on their list. Ahsoka continued to meditate when she heard a short yelp. She opened her eyes wary of looking for to long at hyperspace. "Hello?", she asked as she turned around. The entire ship was silent, and dark. The only illuminating light source was the interdimension of hyperspace. Ahsoka walked around the ship, noticing that their was a very faint glow coming from Luke's room. She quietly made her way over there. _Perhaps he is awake,_ Ahsoka thought to herself, _guess now is a good time to apologize._ Ahsoka knocked on the door. "Luke?", Ahsoka whispered. She didn't receive any response. But she started to feel cold. Ahsoka carefully opened Luke's door using the force. Welcoming the sight of a dark void. "Luke?", Ashoka asked again before entering. The room was dark, save for Artoo charging in the corner. She didn't see Luke, at least she noticed that he wasn't in bed. "Luke, are you okay?", Ahsoka asked cautiously. She walked deeper into the room, noticing his lightsaber was scattered on the floor. Suddenly, Ahsoka saw a bright, yet short, spark of light. She peered her head to her left, noticing Luke sitting on his knees. "Hey Luke", Ahsoka said in relief, "I was wondering if we could talk-". Ahsoka stopped as she noticed a familiar red hue glowing around Luke.

_No!,_ Ahsoka internally shouted. Luke had opened a sith holocron. He paid no mind to Ahsoka, his concentration purely on the holocron. _"Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The force shall free me",_ the holocron said. "Stop!", Ahsoka shouted at the top of her lungs. In a swift motion, Ahsoka raised her hands creating a force wave so powerful it threw Luke to the other side of the wall. A loud thud echoed the ship. Luke groaned in pain as he rubbed his head. The sith holocron fell to the floor, Ahsoka extended her arm to grab the holocron. The pyramidal object started to float towards Ahsoka. But it suddenly stopped.

Ahsoka looked down to see Luke also getting a grip on it. "Stop Ahsoka. You don't know you're doing!", Luke shouted. The two struggled to pull the sith holocron away from each other. "Luke, you promised to never use the darkside!", Ahsoka shouted back, "You promised". Ahsoka's words echoed in Luke's head. He had promised her such, he even remembered that she gave him a hug after confirming that he would keep his promise. "How can I trust you?", Luke asked the Togruta, "How can I know that you won't tell everyone my secrets?". Ahsoka looked at the young man in confusion. "Luke, what are you taking about. You know you can trust me".

"Do I?", Luke asked straightening his back as he slowly got up. "You told Mothma about me, about Vader. You knew, even before we met!", Luke suddenly said pointing a accusing finger at her. "What?", Ahsoka asked confused, "I never told Mothma anything. You think I would tell anyone about you or Vader? I don't want anything to do with him! And I certainly never knew you existed until now Luke", Ahsoka argued back with her hands on her hips. Luke let out a deep breath as he looked at Ahsoka straight in the eye, he wanted to make sure he could trust her. To prove to that mysterious man that he was wrong about her, to prove his nightmare that Ahsoka would never harm him. But the same trust should radiate off him towards her. He wanted to see what Ahsoka truly felt, what she was really hiding. "I'm sorry Ahsoka, I shouldn't have accused you. it was wrong for me to-", Luke said before cut off by Ahsoka. "I've heard enough", the Togruta said offended before turning to walk away. She grabbed the holocron as she headed towards the door. But before the door opened, Luke reached out to the force and locked the door before Ahsoka could leave. "Open the door", Ahsoka warned him in a cold tone. "No", Luke replied slyly. Ahsoka turned to look at Luke, her face filled with annoyance and fear. She hesitated as her hand inched towards her lightsaber. "Funny how you claim I should trust you. But you don't trust me", Luke said dryly as he noticed the sudden reaction from the older Togruta.

Ahsoka stopped in her track as Luke walked closer to her, calling his lightsaber in the process. "Luke, this isn't you. The sith holocron has affected you. I warned you to not use the darkside", Ahsoka said with a hint of fear in her voice. Luke acknowledged her fear with a simple _hmph_. "You want to know what I learned from that thing", Luke asked sarcastically as he pointed towards the holocron in Ahsoka's hands. "I learned many things, things that not even the jedi could explain", Luke began, "I even learned that there are abilities beyond reality, ones that could kill you if not done correctly. I learned things that could benefit the new jedi, to become stronger, wiser than any jedi or sith of the past". Luke started to inch closer to Ahsoka. In desperation, Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber and pointed it at Luke. "Stay back!", Ahsoka shouted in fear her hands trembling. "It's not the jedi way to attack someone who is unarmed", Luke said as he got even closer, "But of course, you're not really a jedi". Luke activated his lightsaber and started swinging it around. Ahsoka started backing up as she put her lightsaber in a defensive position.

"What are you afraid of Ahsoka?", Luke asked as he extended his lightsaber towards her. "I'm not afraid of anything", Ahsoka spat back. She glared at Luke as he stopped swinging his lightsaber. "We're all afraid of something. Even I have fear. Its only natural", Luke said quietly. Ahsoka continued to back up when she was finally met with the wall. "You came in here to apologize, correct?", Luke asked as his lightsaber made contact with Ahsoka's. "Originally, yes. Now, I'm starting to regret my decision", Ahsoka commented. Luke continued to push Ahsoka further into the wall. His lightsaber lowering as the two blades made contact. "Tell me your fear", Luke said, stopping his lightsaber but not removing it. The two were very close now, only one foot apart. "You want to know the truth?", Ahsoka asked as she raised her voice, "I'll tell you the truth!". Ahsoka dropped the holocron and ignited her second lightsaber. There was a bang as the holocron shattered on the floor, glass flying everywhere. Ahsoka's two white blades locking in place with Luke's green blade. Ahsoka struggled as she started pushing Luke away from her. "I lost everything!", Ahsoka shouted, "I lost my friends, I lost the only family I ever knew!". She continued to push Luke as the blades were moving closer to each other. "And now that I have a chance of getting new friends, a new family, I keep messing up!", she shouted again. As he was being pushed, Luke tried to use his weight to anchor himself to the floor. But he underestimated Ahsoka's strength, she kept pushing Luke until he was pinned to his side of the wall. "I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to be apart of something. Please Luke, let me be a part of your life", Ahsoka kicked one of Luke's knee. Luke fell to the floor, but was able to catch himself with the force. "I'm afraid Luke. That I'll be alone forever, I made a promise to stay with you, no matter what. Please Luke, let me in", Ahsoka forced her lightsabers down onto Luke's blade. Luke was forced on to the floor, his lightsaber released from his grip.

Luke raised his hands in defeat. Ahsoka slowly removed her blades from his face. "Please Luke", Ahsoka choked out as tears started forming, "I don't want to fight you anymore. I want you to trust me, just like I want to trust you. I want to be friends, family, anything. But please, I don't want to be alone anymore". Ahsoka turned her blades off, and extended her hand for Luke to accept. "Don't make me regret this", Ahsoka said to him. Luke hesitated as he stared at Ahsoka. He tried his best not to smile. Ahsoka had shown him that he could really trust her, despite of the mysterious man's warning. He grabbed her hand, and Ahsoka helped him to his feet. "You.. trust me?", Ahsoka suddenly asked, a smile filled with hope lightly showing. Luke gave a small smile, "I do", Luke said softly, "I just hope you can trust me".

Ahsoka was about to answer, when she immediately remembered the sith holocron. She turned her head around, and saw the now pile of shattered glass. Whatever that holocron held, it was lost forever. "I know what you're going to say Ahsoka", Luke immediately said, " That I shouldn't have opened it, that its wrong to use the dark side. And you're right, but there are things that we can learn from the sith, as well as the jedi". Ahsoka gave Luke a confused look, before she could answer, Luke spoke again. "Jedi and Sith, for a millennia two opposing sides that unbalanced the force. But Anakin, Vader, he brought balance by eliminating both sides. So that we, the last of our kind, can learn from their mistakes. By combining philosophies of both the Jedi and Sith, to recreate the order and maintain the peace the Chosen One brought", Luke said as he handed Ahsoka a nearby holocron. "Will you help me do this?", he asked her. Ahsoka stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, using the dark and light together seemed like a bad idea. But somehow, it made sense, it all started with one belief. The force. And they should do the will of the force, not on the philosophy of the few.

"I-", Ahsoka started to say. Suddenly the door behind her opened. She turned around to see that Luke had unlocked it. "It's your choice. You walk out that door, and forget any of this happened", Luke offered. "Or you can stay here, and help me find our place in all this". Luke extended his hand with another sith holocron, in the other hand was a jedi holocron. Ahsoka started moving towards the door, when Luke's words echoed in her head. _"Do you trust me?"._ Ahsoka stopped walking and turned back around facing Luke. She finally made her decision. She walked up to the young jedi, looking down at the offering, before ultimately picking the holocron.

* * *

**Five hours later...**

Sabine woke up to a blaring noise that echoed aboard the Jedi Finder. Half awake, she got up and headed towards the cockpit. "Ahsoka, what's the matter?", Sabine asked. But she was surprised to see that there was no one in the cockpit. The nava computer was alarming her that they were approaching their destination. Sabine quickly pulled the T-6 shuttle out of hyperspace. The shuttle exited the swirly dimension as it came to a stop. Just a few meters away from Rakata Prime. The only thing between them was a giant field of ancient asteroids orbiting the system. Sabine put the shuttle in auto pilot, to see just where Ahsoka was. She walked into her room, trying to see if the Togruta had slept on the top bunk.

"Ahsoka?", Sabine asked as she turned on the lights. There was no one in sight. She decided to check Luke's room next. Sabine quietly walked over to the Jedi's room. She noticed that the door was wide open. She peered her head inside, to find quite a scene. Luke was wrapped in a white robe, he had his head resting on Ahsoka's shoulder, and Ahsoka had her head resting on top of his. One of Ahsoka's lekku was wrapped around Luke, but he didn't seem to care. The two were sound asleep. Their lightsabers and several holocrons were scattered all over the place. Sabine couldn't help but smile at the scene presented to her. _Looks like those two are finally getting along,_ Sabine thought to herself. She decided to leave them be, after all they were not in a rush anymore. They already arrived, why not just enjoy the peace tonight?


	22. The Day of the Sith

Chapter 21

**Rakata Prime**

The _Oubliette-class transport_ , now called the _Night Buzzard_ , jumped out of hyperspace. It drifted by several large chunks of asteroids as it headed to Rakata Prime. "The tracker says that Skywalker is a few meters away from us", Mara explained, "Their ship is in low power. They're most likely sleeping". Ragnos took this in as he observed the assassin. "Power down the shuttle. We'll rest here for tonight", Ragnos said as he instructed the knights to leave him and Zyon. Mara got up and headed to her small room, far from the others. Mara's room was small, and lacked any sense of decorations. Having only received the shuttle a couple of days ago, it made sense that she wouldn't have touched anything. Mara placed her holoprojector on the table next to her bed. It activated as soon as it hit the surface. The image of Gallius Rax reappeared in front of her. _"_ _Aassasin_ _, its been a while since your last report",_ Rax said in an unamused tone. "Like I said in my previous report Rax, I've been busy", Mara spatted back as she avoided looking at the man. _"Hopefully this report has added something new to the dreary excuse back on_ _Korriban_ _?",_ Rax questioned the assassin. Mara huffed as she turned around and faced the man. "I've followed Skywalker to these coordinates. And judging by the audio I planted on his lightsaber, this is his last stop", Mara explained to the fleet admiral.

Rax studied her expression for a second, before speaking in a colder tone. _"You have 48 hours to bring me_ _Thrawn_ _alive. Captain_ _Canady_ _will be waiting for you at the rendezvous point",_ Rax declared. Mara turned to face the fleet admiral, "Wait!", she said in desperation, "How do we know if Thrawn is even alive at this point? I'm going to need backup just to face Skywalker". Rax gave Mara a cold smile, _"The Chimera went missing a year prior to the Death Star's destruction on_ _Yavin_ _IV. However it kept receiving transmissions till our victory on_ _Hoth_ _. I'm sure that he is very much alive. As for Skywalker, I'm sure you and your band of misfits can handle him. Do me a favor and simply follow orders Agent. You already know the punishment for failure"._ Mara instinctively reached for her neck, the inhibitor chip planted in her vibrated softly. "I won't fail", Mara said calmly looking directly at Rax, "I will bring Thrawn and the crew of the Chimera alive. And have Skywalker's head". Rax mumbled as he heard Mara's words, _"We shall see...we shall see",_ he replied in a menacing voice before disconnecting. Mara sat alone in the dark. The only light was the holoprojector on the table. Mara let out a deep breath as she contemplated on her plan. Her main goal was to kill Luke Skywalker. But with everything that happened, she was no longer certain if she could carry out her plan. With the sudden return of Marka Ragnos and Zyon's blind loyalty to him like a stray lothal cat, she was sure her desire for revenge will not be allowed. "Should've killed him when I had the chance", Mara scolded at herself. It was true, she had his weapon in her hand when they were on the platform on Coruscant. One quick stabbing motion would've been enough to end him. But something inside her told her not to do it. The voice inside her head claimed that she needed him alive for now. She needed to get rid of Ragnos, and if it meant having to kill Zyon and his Knights, then so be it.

* * *

Her door suddenly opened, Mara winced as the light from outside stung her eyes. "Hey", Zyon said as he walked in. "What do you want Zyon?", Mara asked annoyed. She just wanted to be alone, away from the Knights of Ren, away from Marka Ragnos, away from everyone. "Just checking up on you", Zyon replied softly, "You've been quiet recently, want to talk things out?", he asked as he sat next to her. Mara hesitated as she didn't want to really talk at the moment. Zyon looked around the room, eyeing Mara's holoprojector on the table. He went to grab it, when Mara's hand suddenly stopped him. "Don't", she said defensively. This sudden motion activated the projector. It opened an image, one that sent pain to Mara's heart. The image was of a young Mara Jade smiling proudly, at the age of 16, she had just graduated from the imperial academy on Coruscant. She stood there in the middle of the picture, Darth Vader, Gallius Rax and Emperor Palpatine looming in the background. Next to her were two individuals on both sides. A young man and woman only three years older than her stood proudly. The aurebesh letters reading: _Proud to be the Emperor's Hand_. "Galen Marek and Juno Eclipse", Zyon said identifying the pair. Mara quickly turned off the projector and put it back in her pocket. "I see you still care about them, even after they betrayed the Emperor", Zyon said in disgust. "They may have betrayed everything I believed in, but they were still family", Mara argued. Zyon simply chuckled at the amusement presented to him, she was easily manipulated by him. She showed him the image she was trained to forget. The lies she was led to believe by so many. This would certainly serve his purpose.

"I hope you aren't planning to kill Skywalker", Zyon suddenly said. Mara looked away, as she slowly moved away from him. "That was the initial plan. You even agreed to it!", Mara yelled at him. "I have", Zyon nonchalantly agreed, "And I still do. But once Ragnos takes over Skywalker's body, I will learn all the teachings of the sith. And once I am powerful enough to challenge him, that's when I'll kill Luke Skywalker". Mara huffed as she got up from her bed and went to occupy herself with a weapon. "I don't. are if you want to be a sith or not. I'm just doing it for revenge, to avenge my child who was slayed by that monster!", Mara said raising her voice. Zyon got up, grabbing Mara's arm in the process. "I don't want to hear you mention our child again", Zyon spatted back. "My child", Mara corrected, putting emphasis on the word " _My_ ". Mara pinned Zyon against the wall using only her weight. "And I won't stop until the head of Luke Skywalker dangles from my hand. Not even you will be able to stop me", Mara said darkly. "Look at you, so gullible", Zyon stated in disgust, "You believe every word that comes out of your mouth, and yet you still believe that Galen truly cared about you". Mara let out a loud cry as she pushed Zyon out of her room. Zyon fell to the floor, quickly moving his feet before the door. slammed shut. He laid there, on the floor smiling under his mask. He had managed to brake her to reveal her true intentions.

* * *

Zyon limped back to Ragnos, who was staring at the nava-computer. It displayed the T-6 Shuttle just 100 meters away, drifting in the vacuum of space. "So, did you get the confession?", Ragnos asked the Knight. "In a way", Zyon simply stated, "You were right. She plans on betraying us for her own pleasure". Ragnos simply took this in, he would've been proud to see that betrayal still ran in the sith teachings. But now was no time to teach, he may be physically limited, but with Skywalker being the last Jedi, he could already imagine the endless possibilities to bring in a new Sith Order. "Revenge is merely temporary. But the sith ideology is eternal. She must see beyond the act of selfishness and see the true power of the dark side", Ragnos said as he clenched his fist, "When the time comes, you shall strike her down". Zyon hesitated to respond. He didn't want to hurt her, but no weakling shall survive. "Your personal feelings won't get in the way?", Ragnos asked menacingly, he slowly turned around to face the Master of the Knights of Ren. "She means nothing to me", Zyon replied. "Good", Ragnos said showing a toothy grin, "Good. Now go and rest, tomorrow is a big day". Zyon bowed down before heading back to the shared room with his knights to rest.

Ragnos turned back into the cockpit, watching as the T-6 slowly drifted towards the planet. He brushed his hand against the holographic image of the jedi shuttle. "Oh Skywalker", Ragnos said deeply, "Tomorrow is truly a day of the sith. And nothing can't stop our return. Not even... you".


	23. Encounter

Chapter 22

**Rakata Prime**

The T-6 Jedi shuttle's engines sprung back to life as it headed towards Rakata Prime. It glided in the tight entrance as it dodged the numerous amount of debri orbiting the planet. "Entering planetary atmosphere. Brace yourselves", Sabine announced over the intercom. Luke and Ahsoka groaned as the two walked into the cockpit. "How long were we out?", Ahsoka asked tiredly. She sat down on a nearby chair, calling her staff to her hands. "A very long time", Sabine replied, "But I got to admit, you two seemed pretty adorable together", she admitted. Ahsoka blushed as Sabine winked at her. "Let's focus on our mission, shall we?", Luke said suddenly, letting out a fake cough as he and Artoo joined them. "Right, Ezra Bridger is down there", Ahsoka said, "After all this time. We finally found him". Sabine and Ahsoka gave each other a small smile, they were close. They would soon complete the promise they have given to the lothalian jedi learner. "Or at least we hope he is", Luke corrected, "We've could've read something wrong or-", Luke stopped suddenly. Ahsoka and Sabine both glared at Luke. "I'm just going to stay quiet", Luke shyly replied, noticing the disapproving look from the two women. The T-6 shuttle started to shake violently as it entered the atmosphere. Luke watched as the dark sky was slowly turning into a bright blue. He smiled as he remembers all the times he had flown with Rogue Squadron, and seeing the magnificent view on every mission.

But Luke noticed something. Barely out of sight, was a small craft following them. It appeared to be a transport, or at least one of the new proto-type models. "Hey, you might want to see this", Luke spoke up. But before anyone could react, the craft started firing at them. "What was that!", Sabine shouted as she tried maneuvering the Jedi shuttle. The shuttle started shaking violently again, this time, throwing Artoo across the cockpit. Artoo let out a surprised chirp as he bumped into Luke. "Artoo magnetize!", Luke shouted desperately as he dodged Ahsoka's staff from hitting him. Artoo quickly followed Luke's order. He magnetized himself to the floor, creating a loud thud. But it was muted compared to all the chaos around him. Smoke started to fill the room, covering the cockpit. "I can't see!", Sabine said as she tried to control the shuttle. "Luke, with me!", Ahsoka commanded. She gestured him to follow, he quickly followed her as the two left the cockpit. Ahsoka pointed to one of the gun turrets, "You take the left side. I'll take the right", she commanded. Luke obeyed as he hopped onto the gun turret. Luke finally saw the craft up close. It was bigger than expected, but it was definitely a transport. He started firing at it, the blast hitting it directly. But no damage was done. "The shields are too strong!", he proclaimed. "Just keep firing, we have to distract them long enough for Sabine to stabilize", Ahsoka explained as the two started firing another round.

The shuttle started spinning out of control. "Sabine, what's going on there!", Ahsoka yelled to the cockpit. She and Luke had to hold onto dear life as they started getting dizzy. "We're losing half the ship!", Sabine yelled back. Luke heard metal starting to rip apart. He jumped out of his seat in a nick of time. The wall next to him had suddenly vanished. The air pressure started sucking everything out of the ship. "Luke!", Ahsoka screamed out, she grabbed her staff and extended it towards Luke. Luke grabbed the end of the staff as the area around him started to vanish. Ahsoka pulled Luke back to safety, the two made their way to the cockpit. "Detach!", Ahsoka commanded to Sabine. "Are you sure?", Sabine barked back, unsure if she had heard the Togruta correctly. "Just do it!", Ahsoka replied back. Sabine pressed a large button, red flashing lights popping everywhere. A metallic groan echoed as the doors started to lock. "Wait, the holocrons!", Luke shouted out. But Ahsoka strapped him to his seat, "It's too late for them", she told Luke. Luke could only watch helplessly as the cockpit ejected from the main hull. All his hard work in finding the holocrons, only for them to be lost once again. A big bright explosion of blue and red soon followed after, its shock waves sending the cockpit, now escape pod, hurtling towards the ocean. Everyone let out a scream as the pod crashed into the ocean. "Quick, lets get out of here", Sabine cried out. They struggled to keep the doors closed as water started entering the pod. Ahsoka grabbed her lightsaber to create a hole wide enough for them to escape. Artoo started helping Luke cover any holes that let water in. "Got it!", Ahsoka shouted gleefully. She gestured everyone to climb out of the pod, Luke and Sabine helped Artoo go first. The next was Sabine followed by Ahsoka. Luke was about to go next, when the water pressurized the doors to open.

Water came hurling in, the metal doors hitting Luke at full speed, he hit his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious. "Luke!", Ahsoka and Sabine yelled in horror. "I'll go get him, you go to shore!", Ahsoka declared to Sabine. Ahsoka quickly jumped back into the hole. She shivered as her body touched the cold water. She desperately moved things around to find him. "Luke, where are you?", Ahsoka whispered to herself. She knew he wouldn't answer back, but she was shocked to see blood starting to flow from its source. She rushed towards the unconscious Jedi Knight. Ahsoka had to hold her screams as she saw Luke's injures. His torso was exposed, with a large open gash across his chest. The sudden impact with the doors have left a deep purple bruise on him. She gently picked Luke up, fully aware of all the blood that started to stain her robes. She began climbing out, with Luke strapped onto her. Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief as she made it to the surface. Before she could celebrate her short victory, Ahsoka heard a distant yelling. She looked over the direction of the source, to see Artoo and Sabine floating towards the shore. It looked like Sabine was trying to tell her something, her arms wailing like crazy. "What!?", Ahsoka yelled out, "I can't hear you". Her question was soon answered. A deep growling noise echoed around her. Ahsoka turned and watched in horror as a humongous wave headed straight at her. Ahsoka tried to escape, but the extra weight of Luke dragged her down. Her world soon turned cold and dark. Consumed by the watery void.

* * *

"You imbecile!", Ragnos yelled at the top of his lungs. He flung Mara across the cockpit, knocking things over in the process. "I told you I wanted him alive! And you killed him!", Ragnos started force chocking Mara. Mara grasped for air as she was thrown to the ground again. She coughed out blood as she tried to stagger to her feet. She was immediately kicked in the gut, she yelped as she clutched her stomach. "Ren", Ragnos called out, "I want her dead. Finish the job". Zyon walked past the resurrected sith lord, he started putting on his mask. Hiding his emotion behind the gray helmet. "Don't do this", Mara said in between breaths. But Zyon ignored her as he ignited his purple blade. "Sorry, nothing personal", Zyon stated as he raised his blade, he brought his blade down as he expected it to pass through Mara with ease. But it didn't. Mara had stopped the lightsaber with the force, just inches from her face. Zyon struggled as he tried to remove his blade from her invisible grip. Mara forced pushed him away, Zyon stumbled back until he fell to the floor. His lightsaber released from his grip. The Knights of Ren quickly got into battle position, raising their weapons when needed. Ragnos grabbed his vibrosword and started marching towards the assassin. "Stop", Mara said coldly putting her hands in front of her. Ragnos ignored the assassin's plea and kept marching towards her.

Suddenly, Mara pulled out a remote. "I said stop", she said in a commanding voice. Everyone stopped in their tracks, confused to the sudden move from the assassin. "You kill me, and this entire place blows up like hell", she explained. Ragnos simply chuckled at the assassin's attempt to scared him, "Clearly you underestimate us". Mara pressed a button on the remote, soft beeping sounds starting to fill the room. Several hidden thermal detonators started to blink. There was even some starting to go off on everyone on board. The knights started to freak out, as their helmets started to blink. Zyon threw his mask away from him as his helmet started to blink as well. Ragnos watched in amusement as his boot started to blink. "Impressive" , Ragnos said amusingly, "What is your proposal?", he asked setting his vibrosword down. He knew she wanted something, or at least wanted to think that she was in charge. "Here's what you're going to do", Mara explained as she got up, "You follow my commands, do exactly what I tell you. Now I'm on a mission to hunt down an imperial mastermind. When we find him, and if you behave, then I'll hand over Skywalker. Deal?", she proposed. Ragnos growled as he considered the option. "You killed Skywalker. He's no good to me dead", he claimed. Mara let out a soft chuckle as she activated a holo-map. The map had a small red dot moving quickly across the screen. "Skywalker is still alive and moving", Mara explained as she zoomed into the screen, "I have him tied at the end of a string".

* * *

The waves clashed against the sandy beach, an orange hand popped out from the water. Ahsoka broke through the water, still clutching Luke for dear life. She coughed out water as she tried to breathe. "Ahsoka!", Sabine cried out of relief. She helped the Togruta get out of the water. "Are you alright?", Sabine asked worriedly. "I lost my staff", Ahsoka lightly joked. "That's a shame... I really liked that staff", Sabine replied in the same light hearted manner. Artoo let out a whistle, indicating that they should focus on Luke. "Right, Sabine help me take his shirt off", Ahsoka ordered. Sabine followed Ahsoka's orders without question. Soon Luke was free from his shirt, blood oozing everywhere. Ahsoka quickly took off her outer robes, not caring about Sabine's comment that she had blood all over her as well. She ripped a large section of her robe, and started to wrap around Luke's torso. Ahsoka made sure that she applied enough pressure to stop the bleeding. "He stopped breathing", Sabine stated worriedly as she checked his pulse. Ahsoka started to perform CPR to bring Luke back. "Come on little Skyguy, don't you dare go on me!", Ahsoka shouted as she began giving mouth to mouth resuscitation in hopes of bringing air into his lungs. "Come on Luke, wake up. Please", Ahsoka shouted again. After a few tries, tears flooded her vision as she had no success. He was gone.

Sabine had to pull Ahsoka away from Luke, "It's too late Ahsoka. He's gone", Sabine told her in a sad tone. Ahsoka collapsed to the floor crying, Sabine held onto her, unsure of what to do next. Artoo stayed quiet, only letting a small sad chirp as he gently rocked Luke in hopes of waking his master. "I failed", Ahsoka said, "I failed him". Suddenly a loud cough interrupted the silence. Artoo let out a joyful chirp as Luke vomited water all over the place. Ahsoka and Sabine quickly rushed over to Luke's side. "Oh Luke, thank the force your alive", Ahsoka shouted in relief as he hugged him. Ahsoka checked to see if Luke was alright, his eyes were a bit red, but that was normal for having his faced suddenly filled with water. "Luke speak to me. Can you hear us? Say something", Sabine asked as she noticed that Luke wasn't reacting to anything. "I hate sand", Luke spoke dryly as his hand felt the ground, "It's irritating and it gets everywhere". Ahsoka had to hold her laughter at Luke's dry humor. He clearly was Anakin's son. "I thought I lost you", Ahsoka admitted as she helped him get up. "Its going to take a lot more than just water to kill this jedi", Luke replied looking down to see his torso was wrapped in a large piece of cloth. "You have a huge gash across your chest", Ahsoka explained, "I simply stopped the bleeding". Luke smiled as he gave his thanks to the Togruta. He walked over to Artoo, rubbing his metallic dome in the process. "Artoo, does your long range transmissions still work?", Luke asked his little blue droid. Artoo gave an affirmative beep. "Hey, I'm going to try and contact someone for another ship", Luke announced to the group, "What ever shot us down is still out there".

"Luke, are you sure you don't want to rest? We can continue the travel later", Ahsoka suggested. Luke nodded in disagreement, "We need to find Bridger and Thrawn before they do", was the only thing he said as he and Artoo walked farther in land to transmit their message. "What type of ship brought us down anyway?", Sabine asked as soon as Luke and Artoo left. "It seemed like some sort of transport, though I not really sure what model. It could be a prototype", Ahsoka suggested as she gathered any supplies that survived the crash, which was very little. "You don't think its the ones from Korriban?" Sabine asked wearily. Truth be told, Ahsoka was convinced that it was Zyon and the Knights of Ren. They haven't run into anyone else these past couple of days. "Possibly", Ahsoka pointed out, "Though I'm not really sure how they would've followed us. Or it could be that imperial remnant on Illum. A few assassins or bounty hunters usually do the dirty work", she suggested.

* * *

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed across the beach. Ahsoka and Sabine both flinched at the loud roar. "What was that?", Sabine asked the Torgruta. "I don't know", Ahsoka replied in all honesty. The one thing up in her mind was that the source came from the same direction... that Luke and Artoo went to. No. Luke, Artoo, Ahsoka inwardly panicked. The ground started to rumble as Sabine and Ahsoka saw the trees from the distance tumbling down. "Look! Over there!", Sabine pointed out. The figure of Luke and Artoo heading towards them at full speed. Before they could ask what was wrong, Luke started shouting, "Run! Run!", Luke shouted as he and Artoo passed the two women. A large red crooked hand erupted from the forest. Ahsoka and Sabine stayed in shock as a giant red Rancor revealed it self. "Run", Ahsoka shouted at the Mandalorian. The two quickly followed Luke and Artoo into a valley. The Rancor kept chasing them, knocking over large boulders that could easily crush an x-wing. "Over there, that's the Chimeara!", Sabine shouted. She pointed towards a large ruin of a Star Destroyer. She could tell it was the Chimaera, just by its insignia planted at the bottom of the Star Destroyer. "Are you crazy, that place could be crawling with these creatures", Ahsoka spatted back. "There's a temple straight ahead", Luke suggested. The temple was farther down, and seemed very ancient, yet secure. But another Rancor popped out of nowhere, blocking their path towards the temple. It roared as it flung its large arms at them. "The Star Destroyer will do", Ahsoka stated, immediately regretting her words. They quickly turned and ran towards the ruins of the Chimeara, the two large beast following right behind. They started growing tired as they seemed to lose their breath, their pace was slowing down, the gap between them and the Rancors was shrinking in seconds.

"We won't make it", Luke panted as he ignited his lightsaber to end this matter. "Go, I can stall them", he suggested. "Never, I already lost you once, I'm not going to lose you again", Ahsoka argued back. Before Luke could answer, one large blast of energy came out of nowhere, hitting one of the Rancors in the chest. The Rancor growled as another blast hit its head, it fell on its knees as another blast made the final kill. An AT-ST rose from the bushes in front of them. The other Rancor charged at the mechanical beast, the AT-ST fired again, stunning the Rancor for a moment. Several hollers and yells roared through the bushes. Several men and women came out of the bushes, all wearing a variety of stormtrooper armor, they fired their blasters at the huge beast. The Rancor had no choice but to retreat as the blaster fire kept coming. The Rancor groaned as it retreated back to its safe haven in the forest. Luke and the two women were shocked, unknown what to do. The stormtroopers stared at them, weapons pointed straight at Luke. "Put the weapon down!", one of the stormtroopers commanded. Luke deactivated his lightsaber, and tossed it to the side. He raised his hands in surrender, Ahsoka and Sabine doing the same. Artoo let out a small, oh oh, as the stormtroopers slowly circled in. "You're right Artoo, I've got a bad feeling about this", Luke agreed nonchalantly. "No need to be, Master Jedi", a calm, yet menacing voice said. A blue humanoid alien with striking red eyes and slick dark blue long hair reaching it's shoulders came out the the crowd. The alien eyed Sabine firmly, "It's so good to finally meet again, Ms.Wren", the alien spoke. Sabine spat out the only words she could think of,

"Grand Admiral Thrawn".


	24. Injured

Chapter 23

**The Chimaerian Village**

The crackling sound of fire wood filled the empty night. The bright fire illuminated the night sky. It warmed the area surrounding it, small pieces of ash flying in separate directions. Luke, Ahsoka, and Sabine all sat quietly, feeling a bit awkward at the moment. Artoo was at the corner, feeling a bit tense. Thrawn sat across from them, cooking a couple of native wild life. "Gizka?", Thrawn offered as he extended the plate towards them. It was a charcoal colored creature, that seemed to be some type of amphibious creature. Yet it's hind legs were larger than its body. Luke went to grab one when Ahsoka swatted his hand away. "You don't know what's in them. For all we know, he could've poisoned them", Ahsoka whispered at him. "I haven't interfered with these creatures since I caught them", Thrawn said defensively as he overheard the Togruta's warning. Sabine kept glaring at Thrawn. Her cold hazel colored eyes set on Thrawn's red ones. "What are you up to Thrawn", Sabine spat at him coldly. "Nothing really", Thrawn commented as he set the plate aside, noting that would rather starve than trust him. "I am just being hospitable", he claimed as he signal one of the guards. A large stormtrooper kneeled down besides Lukes, he got a syringe out as he steady Luke's arm. "Get away from him!", Ahsoka shouted as she pushed the stormtrooper off of the young Jedi. "Please, he's just going to inject a painkiller to numb your friend's pain", Thrawn tried to reason, "We have to patch him up if he doesn't want anymore blood loss".

"You will not lay a hand on him again", Ahsoka threatened as she got in front of Luke. Arms raised, ready for a fight. "Ahsoka", Luke suddenly said getting up, "Its alright. I feel no ill-will from them. Let them treat me", he said calmly as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Luke you don't understand. These are imperials we are talking about. Once someone receives the transmission, then we can get you the proper, trusted, medical aid", Ahsoka sent a glare towards the Chiss Admiral. Thrawn simply rolled his eyes at the poorly attempt to scare him. He had faced Vader, the Emperor himself, and now crazy force wielding creatures. A simple attempt of a glare wouldn't scare him. Not even the Mandalorian could scare him. "Your friend has approximately 8 hours to live, with that poorly made bandage. Less if you didn't properly cleaned the wound", Thrawn explained. Ahsoka hesitated as her arms slowly lowered from a fighting position, Thrawn was right. She hadn't cleaned Luke's wound, she was in a rush to get the water out of him. Which means Luke wasn't out of the danger zone yet. And who knows how long it will take someone to respond to Luke's transmission. "Alright", Ahsoka said in defeat, "You can treat him". Thrawn slowly nodded, he gestured several troopers to take Luke away. Several stormtroopers, including the one that was earlier pushed away from Ahsoka, helped Luke to his feet as they started to walk away. "Wait", Ahsoka interrupted. They stopped in their tracks, a bit confused at the Togruta's stubbornness. "I'm coming with you", Ahsoka stated. "Ahsoka, its fine", Luke barked back a bit annoyed at Ahsoka's sudden overprotection. "I don't exactly trust them Luke, I need to be there to make sure they stay in place", Ahsoka argued. She put her foot, giving Luke the conclusion that he shouldn't continue arguing with her. "It's fine, Master Jedi", Thrawn told Luke equally annoyed, "Take the Togruta with you", he told the troopers. "Sabine, make sure our friend behaves", Ahsoka ordered coldly as she then followed. "With pleasure", Sabine replied not removing her gaze from the Chiss.

After Luke and Ahsoka left, Artoo rolled around nervously. Sabine kept her eyes on Thrawn. The fire reflecting off of her hazel eyes. "The Togruta is very protective of the man", Thrawn began, "By reading her body language and analyzing her tone, I have concluded that she sees him almost like a son". Sabine rolled her eyes at the Chiss Admiral. You didn't need to be a genius to know that Ahsoka cared deeply about Luke. "What are you really planning here Thrawn, I can see through your 'hospitable' behavior", Sabine suddenly said darkly as she set her helmet aside. "As I previously stated Ms.Wren, I have no ill-will towards you or your friends", Thrawn said calmly, grabbing one of the Gizka off from the fire. "Stop being full of Bantha crap" Sabine cursed at the Chiss, "You're planning something. And I'm going to find out what it is". Thrawn simply shook his head in disbelief. Sabine pulled out a small blaster, pointing it straight at Thrawn. Artoo let out a surprised chirp as he noticed the small blaster. He tried warning her that they had to bring Thrawn back alive to the New Republic, to face the charges put against him. "Shut it Artoo", Sabine yelled at the little blue and white astromech to remain silent. "I agree with the droid in this one, Ms.Wren. There is no need for hostility here", Thrawn calmly said as he raised his hands above his head. "I'm going to ask you this only one time", Sabine threatened as she removed the safety pin from her blaster, "Where is Ezra Bridger".

* * *

"I'm going to remove your bandage", the medic trooper said to Luke. Luke nodded carefully as he laid on a medical table. Ahsoka watched from afar as the lead trooper slowly removed the cloth bandage wrapped around Luke. His chest became exposed as the large gash was revealed. It was turning purple, a bit of pale yellow around the edges. "As Thrawn predicted, it's infected", observed a female trooper, "You're lucky that this will be fixed in a short moment". Luke raised an eyebrow at Ahsoka, mocking her for trying to keep him away from the current medical attention. Ahsoka simply rolled her eyes at Luke's remarks. "Hold on, we have a problem", the medic said worriedly. "What is it?", Ahsoka asked getting closer to Luke. The trooper grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away from the table. Just a few feet away so that Luke couldn't hear them. "He has a metal shard penetrated between his heart and lungs", the medic told Ahsoka in a low voice, "He's lucky to even be alive at this point". Ahsoka looked at Luke who was still strapped in, suddenly becoming even more worried about the young Jedi's health. "Is there anything you can do?", Ahsoka asked hoping for a solution. "We can call in our medical droid. We're going to have to do surgery on him quickly in order to remove it", the medic explained. "How long will that take?", Ahsoka asked, she was curious if they would have time to find Ezra. She noticed that he was nowhere is sight, perhaps he crashed farther from the star destroyer, she thought to herself.

"It will take several hours. I will inform Thrawn about this update", the medic replied, "In the mean time, make sure he's comfortable". Ahsoka nodded as the medic left. She walked up to Luke who laid on the table confused. "What's going on?", he asked the Togruta. Ahsoka looked at Luke's wound, seeing the shard for the first time. "Everything is going to be alright Luke, I promise", she said as she carefully stroked his cheek. Luke was about to get up, when Ahsoka pushed him back down. "It's better that you rest", she said as she put restrains on him. Suddenly a blaster fire echoed throughout the village. Ahsoka ran outside, to find Sabine attacking Thrawn.

* * *

"You murderous imp!", Sabine yelled at Thrawn. She punched him as the camp fire was destroyed. The only visible light coming from the medical room. Sabine went to throw a punch again, when Thrawn caught her hand mid-flight. He tosses her to the ground hard. Sabine let out a small yelp as she fell on her back. But used this new advantage to kick Thrawn's legs, making him lose his balance. Sabine got back up and punched Thrawn in the face. She kept punching until blood started to visibly show on her knuckles. "Seize hostility!", a stormtrooper shouted. He raised his blaster to Sabine who had her back to him. "No, wait!", Ahsoka shouted in horror. Before she could draw her weapon, the trooper fired. Ahsoka expected to see the trooper fire at Sabine at will. But to her surprise, the trooper stunned her. Sabine fell to the floor unconscious, laying next to Thrawn. "Are you alright sir?", the medical trooper asked as he ran to Thrawn's aid. Thrawn got up, acting as if nothing happened. "Yes, I'm quite fine. And the Jedi?", he asked the trooper. "Things got more complicated, sir. We have to perform an immediate surgery, it will require our last supply of bacta and the bacta tank for a speedy recovery", the medical trooper explained. "Have Captain Pallaeon assist you. I have taught him the proper techniques for an immediate surgery. As for the bacta, that young man needs it more than anyone here", Thrawn simply stated as he wiped blood off from his face. The medic nodded as he ran back to the medical room.

Ahsoka decided to stay outside, believing it would be best if she didn't see Luke at the moment. Thrawn went back to set up the campfire again. As he was setting the fire wood back to it's place, a couple of stormtroopers gently set Sabine on a small sleeping back next to Artoo. "Why are you doing this?", Ahsoka immediately asked. Thrawn looked up as the newly placed fire started to grow. "Why do anything", he replied calmly as he sat back down. "Why... all of this?", Ahsoka implied as she gestures around herself. "If you're asking on why we haven't killed you, the answer may be a bit complex for you to understand", Thrawn tried explaining. He gestured Ahsoka to sit in front of him to have a civil talk. "I told the Mandalorian what had happened to your friend Bridger", Thrawn began as Ahsoka sat down. "And that is?", Ahsoka asked a bit confused. "He's gone", Thrawn simply replied. "Oh, I see", Ahsoka said softly, she didn't know how to act. It's been years since she last saw the padawan, and now the entire journey of traveling across the galaxy just led to this. "He isn't dead, if that's what you're thinking. The Mandalorian thought that as well, its the reason why she even attacked me in the first place", Thrawn continued as the crackling of firewood began. "Then where is he?", Ahsoka asked not fully understanding what Thrawn was trying to say. "East from here is a temple, a large grey temple. You may have seen it before coming here. Ezra went into the Temple, and never came back out. That was four years ago. He claimed that it contained secrets that could help us defeat a greater threat", Thrawn commented as he pushed a piece of wood back into place. "Greater threat? The Empire was and probably still is the greatest threat this galaxy has ever faced. What's more deadly than the Empire?", Ahsoka asked the Chiss Admiral. Thrawn looked up at her, thinking on what to say:

* * *

**Flashback**

_"It was several days after my defeat on Lothal. We were stuck in hyperspace for a long time. That's when I decided to talk to young Bridger of having him as a potential ally"_

"How does it feel Thrawn. Knowing that your Empire no longer has a bright mind as you", Ezra said tauntingly, "The Galactic Empire has it's days counted now, the Rebellion can finally grow". Thrawn struggled to speak as the tentacles of the Purgill tightened around him. "I must admit, I never anticipated for you to sacrifice yourself for a temporary victory for Lothal", Thrawn admitted, "But this act, while brave, it was foolish". Ezra looked at Thrawn confused, "Temporary? The Ghost crew will be there to protect Lothal when the Emperor sends in his goons to attack again", Ezra spoke with pride in his voice. "It's not the Empire they should be worried about", Thrawn said coldly.

_"When I told him this, I caught his attention. A threat beyond the limits of our galaxy. He became so interested he started asking several annoying questions"._

"Tell me Thrawn. Why did you join the Empire anyway?", Ezra asked as he sat back down, "The Empire is clearly anti-alien. Why join a government that treats your kind harshly. I just don't get it?". Thrawn stayed silent, he noticed that Ezra had as much of curiosity as his old friend, Eli Vanto, why not turn him to his cause? "I don't truly care about the Empire, or the Rebellion to restore the Republic. I've learned plenty new strategies in my time with the Empire. I'm just simply using their support", Thrawn admitted. The Star Destroyer was suddenly tossed as it exited hyperspace. Thrawn and Ezra looked out the viewport, to see a red planet. A large super star destroyer in a deep black color surrounded by several other star destroyers orbited the planet.

_"I believed that the planet we stumbled upon was called, Korriban. I knew that this was Palpatine's fleet, I've seen diagrams for the super star destroyer on his desk, in my time on Coruscant"._

The fleet started firing at them. Several Purgills were hit, one of them was vaporized with a new type of super weapon. The star destroyers that managed to escape the Purgill's grasp were flung into the fleet. Several explosion occured as the Purgills went into hyperspace yet again. Thrawn managed to free himself from the Prugills strong tentacles. A blaster rifle laid on the floor in front of him. Ezra looked up, determined to grab it before Thrawn did. But to his surprise, Thrawn kicked the rifle away. "I could use someone like you", Thrawn explained as he offered his hand towards Ezra. "Me? Why me?", Ezra asked as he accepted Thrawn's aid. "Your abilities may be the key in defeating this new threat", Thrawn said casually. "What threat?", Ezra asked confused as a Loth Cat. "Far beyond the reaches of our galaxy lies a race of deadly warriors. They believe that it is their destiny to conquer the galaxy. They call themselves, the Grisk. Highly intelligent creatures using a modification of technology and nature to conquer worlds. I fought many scouts in my time with the Chiss Ascendancy, my people, it's one of the reason why I joined the Empire. With their strengths and our superior intellect, we would give the Grisk a hard time attacking our galaxy", Thrawn explained in detail. "Why do you keep saying 'our galaxy', aren't they apart of this galaxy as well?", Ezra asked. Thrawn shook his head, "They are not from this galaxy. That is why it was critical that the Empire grew and the Rebellion lost. This galaxy needed a strong army to protect it".

"By destroying it's own civilization!", Ezra argued, "By forcing people to remain silent instead of giving them freedom that was promised!". Thrawn snarled as Ezra argued with him. "You must have a strong will, in order to act", Thrawn simply stated as he walked around the bridge. The Chimaera came out of hyperspace again. This time a tropical planet was below them. The Purgill that held them threw the Chimaera into the planet with great force. Thrawn and Ezra were knocked out of their feet as the Chimaera went crashing down onto the mysterious planet. The two screamed as the were suddenly met with darkness.

_"The Chimaera and her sister ship, the Harbinger , crashed onto this forsaken planet. Only Captain Pallaeon and a squadron of Death Troopers survived their crash, while most of the Chimaera's crew survived. Bridger and I decided to form a Union in order to survive. He slowly convinced many of our soldiers to change sides. It wasn't until we received a transmission that Alderaan was destroyed by project Stardust. That was the turning point for all of us. We all agreed that Alderaan was a peaceful planet, despite it secretly helping the Rebellion. Many had families near the Alderaanian system, and feared for the worst. Personally, I still sided with Empire. A powerful weapon would've been a smart military move to use against the Grysk. Though morally, it was wrong, but I only look for a better solution. It wasn't until we later received a transmission that a hot-shot pilot by the name of Luke Skywalker successfully destroyed the Death Star. That day, we all celebrated for the victory of the Rebellion. That's when things changed"._

"Ezra, please reconsider", Thrawn pleaded as he and Ezra stood in front of the temple. "I can't", Ezra said nonchalantly, "Something is calling me in here. It may contain knowledge on how to defeat the Grisk", he touched the temple door. The temple immediately activated its shields, a dim yellow energy field surrounded the ancient temple. "At least take a squadron with you", Thrawn tried persuading, "That place may be filled with traps all over the place". Ezra just shook his head, "I can't, I have to do this alone". Ezra closed his eyes as he focused on the shields. The shields started to flicker before finally turning off. "If I don't make it back", Ezra stated looking at the worried Chiss, "Tell Sabine and Ahsoka that I'm here, they will find a way to get me".

**End of Flashback**

* * *

"Those were his final words before he entered the temple", Thrawn explained as the fire was slowly dying out, "We tried everything. We even tried blowing the doors up. But that incredible force field is just too strong to break through. I don't know how Bridger was able to open it in the first place", he admitted. Ahsoka sat in shock at the story Thrawn had just told her. What in the world were the Grysk? When would they even attack? Most importantly how did they know how Luke looked like? "How did you...you know, see that the man with us is Luke Skywalker?", Ahsoka asked. Thrawn looked up at her, his red eyes staring blankly at her blue ones. "I've met Anakin Skywalker once in the past. I see the resemblance as soon as I laid my eyes on that young man", Thrawn explained. Ahsoka nodded in understanding, Luke did looked like his father. "So about these 'Grisk', when will they attack?", Ahsoka asked again. "That, I'm not certain. They've been sighted since the beginning of the Mandalorian-Jedi civil war. They send their scouts every 50 years. It probably won't be a while until they actually attack, that's why its critical that we prepare the for any sort of invasion", Thrawn explained as the fire finally died. "So, tomorrow you will go to the Temple?", Thrawn asked curiously. Ahsoka turned her head to see Sabine sound asleep, and Captain Pallaeon walking towards them.

"Captain", Thrawn acknowledged, "How's the jedi?". Pallaeon had an apron covered in blood. This made Ahsoka extremely worried, too much blood was lost. "We had difficulty getting the shard out, but we did it", he handed a small bag filled with a sharp metal shard to Ahsoka. "The surgery was a success, he's now in the bacta tank. It will be a short time before he is clear to walk again", Pallaeon stated. Thrawn thanked him as Pallaeon walked away. "I suggest you rest for now", he told Ahsoka. Ahsoka agreed as she walked into the medbay. Artoo was dragging Sabine in her sleeping bag. Thrawn explained in a harsh tone to keep the Mandalorian away from his troops. At least until she cools down. Ahsoka observed Luke in the bacta tank. He floated as his now stitched wound was starting to heal. All she could say was just a small "thank you" to Ezra for changing the 7th fleet way of thinking. "We will find you Ezra. I just know it", she said as closed her eyes.

* * *

The _Night Buzzard's_ doors opened as it landed softly on the beach. "Skywalker is a few meters away", Mara said as she looked down at her tracker. The Knights of Ren soon joined her as the walked down the pathway. Ragnos stepped on the soft sandy beach, taking in the salty atmosphere. "The force is strong in this planet", he said smiling. As they continued to walk, Zyon stopped two of his knights. "Ap'Lek, Cardo", Zyon whispered to get their attention. The two looked at their master. "Yes Master Ren?", Cardo asked. "I need the two of you to stay here and find a way to disable the bomb", Zyon explained urgently, "In case things go south, prepare the Night Buzzard to lift off".

"Understood sir", Ap'Lek remarked. The two went back to the ship, cautious of not getting Mara's attention. The group continued to walk down the valley. Before they were met with a large Rancor. The Rancor roared the group as it charged at full speed. Ragnos lifted his hand towards the mighty creature. The Rancor stopped, struggling to breathe, it was lifted off the ground before being slammed next to a rocky wall. The Rancor moaned as it slowly got back up. Ragnos unleash an incredible amount of force lightning on the now weakend creature. The intense heat of the lightning started melting the Rancor's face. It cried out in pain as Ragnos continued to cast lightning on it. Ragnos then grabbed his vibrosword and cut the Rancor's head. The head slid down, landing next to Mara's feet. Mara stepped back, terrified of the immense power that was displayed in front of her. Ragnos laughed like a maniac as he kicked the head across the ground. Blood smearing everywhere. "If Skywalker doesn't willingly join", Ragnos explained, "Everyone he cares about will die".


	25. Found at last

Chapter 24

**The Rakata Temple**

Ahsoka, Sabine and Luke starred in awe as they enter the field in which the Temple laid upon. "Look at this", Sabine pointed out. There was several carvings surrounding the temple door. The carvings displayed numerous purgills going up and down the door frame. In the middle was some sort of superweapon, drawing energy from a nearby source. "The Starforge", Thrawn explained as he joined them, "What I was able to translate indicates that the ancient race that once ruled these lands used those blasted creatures to create this thing", Thrawn tried explaining in depth as he pointed to the image in the middle. Luke took this in as he patted Artoo's dome, "What was the purpose of this superweapon?", he asked the Chiss. "Apparently it wasn't entirely a superweapon. More of a factory, if you will", Thrawn spoke back. Ahsoka and Sabine stood anxiously as they couldn't wait any longer. "You're sure you're up to this Luke? Its alright, we can wait a little longer for you to fully recover", Ahsoka said timidly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine Ahsoka, really I am", Luke tried convincing. He was wearing a black officer outfit. It was a bit tight, especially around the old saber, but Luke was too embarrassed to speak up, especially with Ahsoka and Sabine at his side. "Plus, I think Sabine will kill me if I take up more time", Luke added shyly as he tried avoiding the death glare from the Mandalorian. He didn't know if she was staring at him or at Thrawn, but he was just afraid to ask at this point. "Alright then", Ahsoka declared a bit unease, "Thrawn, you said that Ezra opened the door, but you couldn't. Why?".

"Only one with the force can open it", Sabine interrupted. Everyone turned to look at her, the young Mandalorian was reading the carved language on one of the pillars. "I gladly remembered the translating book on Mandalore", she explained noticing the confusion from everyone else. "To open the doors, you must focus on the energy field. Only those that poses the power of the Ones may disable the shields", Sabine read out loud. "Ones must've been the name of the force used by the Rakatan", Luke concluded as he slowly walked towards the shielded doors. He activated his lightsaber and softly dragged it across the shields. It hummed as it absorbed the energy of the blade. "You said you tried firing an AT-ST to destroy the shields?", Luke asked amusingly. "Yes, we tried several methods", Thrawn confirmed, "But we gravely underestimated the shield's capacity to hold". Luke considered this as he turned off his lightsaber. "That's because this shield is made of living energy", Luke stated as he rejoined the group. "Living energy?", Sabine questioned as she tried to hold her laughter, "I'm sorry but there's no such thing as a living energy shield. I think you hit your head pretty hard back on the Jedi Finder. Or perhaps maybe even on Mandalore", she said sarcastically. "I know it sounds ridiculous", Luke confessed. He turned to Ahsoka, settling his blue eyes onto her, "But I can feel it. Tell me you can feel it as well", he asked her quietly. Ahsoka closed her eyes to feel her surroundings. It's true, she started hearing a faint singing coming from the energy shield itself. It almost sounded like a Kyber crystal. It was trying to lure her in, telling her that it can show her the future. Ahsoka opened her eyes immediately. "This temple, it's a trap!", she said suddenly. "A trap!", Sabine repeated after her, "Are you saying that Ezra fell into a trap!?". Ahsoka nodded as she looked back at Luke. "It lures force wielders in. No escape possible".

"We have to try, for Bridger's sake", Luke replied. "Luke's right Ahsoka. You have to try, you promised. I don't care if I only get the body, I just want him home", Sabine stated. Ahsoka looked at the young Mandalorian and then back to Luke. Sabine was right, she had promised to find Ezra. Nothing would stand in her way. "Alright", Ahsoka said as she placed her hand on Luke's shoulder, "Let's do this". Luke and Ahsoka held their arms straight in the air. They focused on the shield, desperately trying to communicate with it. It continued to sing as its whispers started to vanish. Sabine and Tharwn watched in amazement as the dim yellow shields started to flicker. "It's working!", Sabine shouted in glee. Luke and Ahsoka continued to focus on the shields. It let out a groan as it suddenly stopped. Luke and Ahsoka opened their eyes, confused. The shields flickered again. The ground started to shake violently as the shields deactivated. The stone door slowly opening up. "We did it", Luke said in a hush voice. Sabine and Ahsoka walked in, but they noticed that Luke didn't join them.

"Luke aren't you coming?", Sabine asked the Jedi. "Uh yeah, I'm going. I just need to tell Thrawn something", Luke replied as he handed a comlink to Artoo. "Thrawn, I need you to alert us if anyone comes near this temple. I believe we're being followed. Make sure they don't pass. Artoo will stay here and assist you", Luke whispered to the Chiss Admiral. Thrawn nodded in acknowledgement as he returned with his squad of stormtroopers. Luke patted Artoo's dome, "I won't take long", he told the little blue and white astromech droid. He then followed Ahsoka and Sabine. The stone door shutting behind them.

* * *

They walked down the pathway. Observing every detail in the temple. The walls had burned out blaster marks and old slashes perhaps caused by a lightsaber. Truth be told, the inside of the temple looked more like a battlefield than it's exterior. There was a large room, ancient lightsabers scattered everywhere. "Maybe he's in here", Sabine said with hope in her voice. Luke bent down to grab one of the several lightsabers. They all had a unique design, but the one that caught his eye seemed to have an exhaust port installed. He activated the blade, a deep purple cross bladed lightsaber came to life. But not even a second later, it died back down. "This is all ancient, how long do you think these were here?", Luke asked Ahsoka. Ahsoka didn't immediately respond back. She was having flashbacks to when she had joined a younger Ezra Bridger and still alive Kanan Jarrus to the sith temple of Malachor. And when she fought her fallen master.

"Ahsoka?", Luke called out, noticing that Ahsoka didn't reply. Ahsoka quickly snapped out of her daze, "Yes Luke?", she asked clearly trying to cover up her discomfort. Luke set down the old lightsaber and walked towards the older Togruta. "It's alright. Nothing can hurt you now", Luke said softly as he embraced her in a small hug. A small, barely audible snort interrupted the scene. Luke sent a glare at Sabine, "Way to ruin the moment", he told her. "That wasn't me", Sabine argued. Suddenly another snort was heard, this time louder. Everyone turned around towards the source of the sound. They saw a silhouette crawling on all fours. Sabine pointed her flashlight towards the creature. The creature let out a holler as it avoided the source of light. It moved quickly towards the safety of the dark, to quick to see what sort of creature it was. But one thing was certain, the hand was human.

"Ezra?", Sabine called out towards the creature. The creature stopped for a brief moment, confused, as if it recognized that name. Sabine let out a worried smile as she stepped closer to the energetic creature. But before she could get any closer, it ran in the opposite direction. "After him!", Ahsoka yelled. They quickly ran after the creature, running deeper into the dark temple.

* * *

Thrawn and Artoo stood in the entrance of the Temple. Several squads of stormtroopers standing behind them. _"We have a squad of potential hostiles headed your way",_ the scout trooper said over the comm. "Copy that trooper", Thrawn said as he turned off the comlink. He signaled all the stormtroopers to be ready to fire. Rustling could be heard far ahead. The trees shook as loud footsteps starting to get within range. Slowly a large red hand emerged from the dense forest. Thrawn eyes's squinted as he saw a large humanoid come out of the forest. He stood seven feet tall, was heavily built, and had dark crimson red skin.,From far away, Thrawn would've confused him for a young Rancor. If it wasn't for the six people behind him. He noticed that one had a tracker, Luke was right. They were being followed. "Open fire!", Thrawn commanded. All the stormtroopers fired at will. Several blaster bolts going straight towards the humanoid. But a sudden bright blob came between them. Thrawn watched in horror as all the blaster bolts started to halt mid air. And all of it being stopped by the same seven foot tall humanoid. "Get down!", one of the troopers yelled out before being hit with his own blaster. Thrawn jumped out of the way as their own fire came back towards them. Artoo let a shriek as he strolled towards the safety of the bushes. Another round of stormtroopers came up from the overheads. They rained down their fire power, in hopes to confuse the group below them. The six humans took cover as it rained rounds of fire. But the humanoid simply let out a deep laugh that chilled everyone to the bone. The humanoid raised his hands to the sky, before letting a storm of lightning ensue from his fingers tips.

All remaining troopers screamed in pain as they were cooked alive by this powerful wave of energy. Their burnt helmets falling towards the ground before Thrawn's feet. Thrawn got up, dusting some of the dirt off of him. The group slowly walked towards him, weapons in hand. "Grand Admiral Thrawn", a feminine voice spoke out, "We finally meet". They got closer to Thrawn, an estimated 5 feet away. Thrawn could see the imperial logo on one of them, it was faded, but it was the imperial insignia. "No need for titles", Thrawn replied calmly. He slowly reached for his small blaster clipped to his belt. But before he could grab it, it flew up in the air. And it was suddenly crushed by a large red hand. The one that spoke earlier took her helmet off. It revealed a beautiful young women with striking red air. "Mara Jade", she introduced herself, "The Emperor's first hand". Thrawn visibly clenched at the mention of the Emperor. "What is your purpose here", Thrawn asked as he stepped back. "First, I came to rescue you", Mara replied, "You should be thankful". Thrawn frowned, "At the cost of my men?", he asked sarcastically. "A small price don't you think?", Mara equally replied in the same tone.

"But before we take you away, we know you have something we want", Zyon interrupted. "Really?", Thrawn asked trying to play as a fool, "I have no idea what you're referring to". Mara showed him the tracker, it's indicating green light flashing vigorously. "We know you've met the Jedi", Mara explained, "So why don't you cooperate and tell us how to get in the Temple", she ordered. Thrawn simply chuckled at Mara's command. "You will never get anything out of me", he claimed softly. Ragnos chuckled at the Chiss's attempt to stall them. He grabbed Thrawn by the throat, lifting him up in the air. "For a Chiss, I thought you would be wiser", Ragnos proclaimed, "But you can't stop me from taking what's rightfully mine". Ragnos opened his palm as he settled in front of Thrawn's forehead. Thrawn flinched as he felt an immense pain entering his mind. He struggled to talk as the pain extended deeper into his mind. "Yes", Ragnos whispered as he let out a smile, "I see it. The way to enter the temple. Skywalker thinks he can outsmart me, how foolish". Ragnos threw Thrawn to the ground. The Chiss laid unconscious on the ground. Mara tied him up against one of the pillars, she had done her duty, now it was onto phase two. Ragnos stood in front of the temple doors, the shield actively humming. "The Jedi needed help to open it. But I don't", Ragnos extended his hand towards the temple. The shields started to vibrate as it was quickly deactivated, the doors opening in the process. "For the darkside is more powerful", he said before walking in. Artoo watched helplessly in the bushes. He watched as they entered the Temple, weapons drawn. Artoo raised his antenna for a hope someone would receive his transmission. It would take time for the New Republic to respond. But he knew just the droid who would answer him in a blink of an eye: C-3PO.

* * *

"There he goes!", Sabine shouted as they chased the creature down. They cornered him in a room filled with dusty armor. The creature growled as it backed up against the wall. Sabine pointed her flashlight at the creature. It let out another yelp as it covered his eyes. Sabine could finally see his face, and was shocked to see the results. It was Ezra Bridger, he had long hair growing past his shoulders, and a long bushy beard around his face. He had a skeletal form, his rib cage clearly visible. But what caught her attention was his eyes, they were no longer the dark blue eyes she had seen all those years ago. They were yellow, and a bright one at that. "Ezra", Sabine said cautiously, "It's me, Sabine and Ahsoka. We came to rescue you", she slowly lowered her blasters, signaling Ahsoka to do the same. "LIAR!", the delusional Ezra yelled at her. He lunged at Sabine, punching her face as he grabbed her bag. Sabine fell back, confused more than ever at what just happened. Ezra suddenly ignited a green blade, his old lightsaber at his hand. He pointed it to Luke. "YOU SENT HIM HERE TO KILL ME!", he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Ezra we aren't your enemy", Ahsoka stated her hands raised in the air, "He helped us find you", she tried clarifying. Ezra looked at her, then a at Luke. In a blink of an eye he charged at Ahsoka at a blur. The Togrutan didn't have enough time to respond, she only saw a green streak of light coming towards her. "Ahsoka!", Sabine shouted in horror. Ahsoka opened her eyes as the blinding lights shined towards her.

Luke Skywalker stood between Ahsoka and Ezra. His blade hovering inches over Ahsoka's head. She could the heat radiating off of the blade. Luke pushed the blade of Ezra off of his. "That is enough Bridger", he commanded. Ezra let out a hallucinating laugh as a response, "You have no power here Jedi!", Ezra said tauntingly. He shrieked as he lunged at Luke, their green blades locking into place. Ezra took his blade forcing Luke to stagger back. "When I'm through with you, I will have killed all the Jedi!", Ezra proclaimed eagerly. Luke huffed in amusement as he spun around avoiding another blow. "Amazing, you tend to get things wrong?", he asked in a sarcastic tone. Ezra kept swinging his blade at Luke, trying to tire out the young Jedi. Only streaks of green and white-yellow flashes became visible. But Luke kept up the pace, he casually dodged each blow as if it was merely a training session. He almost appeared to be toying with Ezra as he kept trying to find an opening to Luke's defense. Ezra suddenly let out a huge force wave, knocking Luke off his feet and sending him though the wall. "Luke!", Ahsoka shouted in horror as the wall collapsed on the young man.

Ezra let out another laugh as he turned his attention towards Ahsoka and Sabine. He whipped his lightsaber as it turned in a full circle. "You will pay for what you did", Ahsoka said darkly as she ignited her twin white blades. "Come at me, you Jedi wannabe", Ezra said tauntingly. Ahsoka lunged at the delusional Ezra. Her two blades striking fast. Ezra barely had time to set up good defense. The two exchanged blows as they continued to fight. They were now moving from room to room, Ezra throwing loose pieces of stone at Ahsoka. Ahsoka used her blades to slice any debri coming her way. They were now in some sort of platform. Ahsoka jumped high into the air as she pressed her blades against his. Ezra grabbed one of Ahsoka's montrals as he dodged her swing. Ahsoka grunted as she was thrown into a wall face first. Her lightsabers dangling from her grip. Ezra used this advantage to make a final blow. He raised his blade, the green hue reflecting off of Ahsoka's skin. "Now you will die!", he said before bringing his saber down. "Stop", a soft voice spoke. Ezra stopped midway when he heard the voice from behind him. He turned around to see Sabine Wren pointing her blasters at him. Tears ran down her face. "Don't do this Ezra. This isn't you", she said as tears continued to run down her moist face. "You think you can take me on Mando? The Ezra Bridger you knew no longer exists", Ezra said coldly as he gave his full attention to the Mandalorian warrior. "Yes he does", Sabine argued back, "Deep down, I know he's in there. Hidden away from this mess you've made".

Ezra slowly marched towards her, his lightsaber scorching the floor underneath it. Sabine stood her ground, never breaking eye contact from his. "I must admit Mando, you sure have some guts", Ezra stated as he marched closer to her. "That's because I know Ezra Bridger would never hurt me", Sabine said calmly as she dropped her weapon. "Such a shame you're not going to have a warrior's death", Ezra nonchalantly spoke as he ignored Sabine's comment. Ezra was now a feet away, he gripped his lightsaber tightly as he raised it in the air. Sabine closed her eyes, accepting her faith, but not before opening a holodisk. She felt the lightsaber coming at her, expecting the hot blade to go through her, with a painful entrance at her torso. But it never came. Sabine opened her eyes slowly. She saw Ezra's lightsaber inches from her face. Ezra's attention was fully on the holodisk. "Mom... Dad", Ezra spoke softly. He turned off his weapon, hands going limb. He slowly reached towards the picture, touching his parent's hologram faces. He suddenly staggered back as he lost his footing. _"No, let the past die. They no longer have any meaning to you",_ a deep voice came out of Ezra. He grunted as he hit his head with the end of his lightsaber. "Get out of my head!", Ezra shouted at himself. _"Do not let this pathetic Mandalorian turn you. Kill her! She is your enemy",_ the deep voice spat back. "I won't let you hurt my friends again", Ezra argued as he fell on his knees. He let out a scream as a dark silhouette came out of his mouth, it flew past Sabine and went straight to it's origin. A sith mask.

"Ezra?", Sabine asked as she cautiously walked towards him. Ezra was gasping for air as his hands rested on the floor. He looked up at her, his blue eyes returning once more. He stared at her as he slowly got back up. "Ezra, are you alright?", Sabine asked again worriedly. "You're just as beautiful as I remembered", Ezra spoke out. He suddenly blushed as he understood the words that came out of his mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Ezra said shyly before being cutoff by a hug. Sabine hugged him tightly tears continued to roll down her face. "You have no idea how long I dreaded to hears those words from you", Sabine replied as she gave him a peck on the cheek. A groan interrupted them with an echo of stone falling apart. "Ahsoka!", Sabine said shocked, "Are you ok?". The Togrutan had a bloody nose, and a purple bruised eye. She got up as she reactivated her blades. "Step away from her!", Ahsoka shouted at Ezra. Ezra raised his hands in the air for surrender. "Wait, I'm sorry, but that wasn't me", Ezra tried arguing. But Ahsoka wasn't having any of it. She charged at him at full speed. But she suddenly halted. "Sabine get out of my way", Ahsoka shouted. Sabine stood between Ahsoka and Ezra, her blaster pointing at the Togruta. "Ahsoka, he doesn't mean harm anymore. Please, you have to trust me", Sabine pleaded. Ahsoka looked down at her blades, and back at Ezra and Sabine. And for the first time, she felt shame. Ahsoka quickly deactivated her lightsabers and wiped her bloody nose. "I'll take your words for it", Ahsoka said softly.

"I'm sorry Ahsoka. Really, I am. The sith spirit promised me so much. I was an idiot for even believing it", Ezra explained shamefully. Ahsoka smiled weakly, "I understand Ezra. I know all about being possessed", she stated as she remembered her time on Mortis, "I'm just glad you're alive". Ezra smiled and hugged Ahsoka. "Thank you for coming back for me", he said whispering to her. Ahsoka returned the hug as Sabine joined in. Footsteps could be heard behind them, Ahsoka turned to see Luke who miraculously had no visible injury. "Luke", Ahsoka said breaking off the hug, "It's safe now", she explained as she welcomed the Jedi. "Ezra", Sabine said before turning her attention to Luke. "I'd like you to meet Luke Skywalker". Ezra stood tall, he extended his hand for a handshake. "Sorry about what happened earlier, I can explain", Ezra said nervously. Luke said nothing, he had his eyes set on Ezra. Determination in his eyes. "Is he mute or something?", Ezra asked Sabine and Ahsoka. But before they could respond, Luke activated his lightsaber and swung at Ezra...


	26. The Assassin

Chapter 25

Ezra opened his eyes to see the bright green blade just inches from his face. One wrong move, and the room will suddenly be filled with the smell of burning flesh. "What the hell is wrong with you!", Sabine shouted at the young Jedi Knight. Luke didn't respond, he kept glaring at Ezra. Or at least, in his direction. "Sabine", Ahsoka suddenly pulled the young Mandalorian away from Luke. Sabine was about to protest when Ahsoka forced her to turn around. A sleek crimson red blade was aimed at Ezra's torso. Luke's lightsaber being the only thing between it and the weakened padawan. The two looked up from the blade to see it's owner. A figure in a dark grey and black imperial jumpsuit with an inquisitor's helmet stood several feet away. The inquisitor jumped back, forcing Luke to stumble forward. He fell to the floor hard, his lightsaber rolling on the floor. Before it was stopped by a boot. Luke looked up to see a large man dressed in imperial armor. He had a gray mask with a red marking in the center. "You lost little one", the man asked sarcastically in a deep voice. But before he could respond, Luke was suddenly pulled back. He let out a surprised yelp as Ahsoka's soft hands grabbed him in an embrace. Luke was able to see the man completely. And he was not alone. The one in inquisitor's armor stood next to him. And behind the man, were the Knights of Ren. All six of them. No wait, two were missing. Luke could've sworn there had been more of them. He quickly looked around him and Ahsoka to check if they were going to ambush. But he didn't see anything, what had happened with the last two? The room suddenly rumbled as a large 7 foot tall humanoid entered the room. "At last, the last of all the Jedi meets the first true sith", the humanoid praised as he loomed over them. Ahsoka moved in front of Luke, igniting her lightsabers in the process. "Who are you!", she said in a demanding tone.

"It doesn't matter, we only came for one thing", the one in the inquisitor outfit stated. It had a feminine voice, unlike the others that clearly had a male voice. "And that is?", Sabine spoke up as she and Ezra moved back. "Him", the one in the inquisitor's outfit pointed out. She extended her already ignited blade towards Luke. "If you want him, you'll have through me first", Ahsoka declared as she stepped forwards. Luke stayed silent, his surroundings slowly muting, he was going over who these were. He thoughts went back to Korriban. The one with the mask was clearly Zyon, he could feel it. The Knights of Ren were the same ones he had encountered earlier, but he couldn't identify the other two. He felt as if he has met them before but the large humanoid and the female assassin weren't recognizable. Though, the humanoid reminded him of the Tomb. His eyes widen as he slowly came to realization. _"She has resurrected an ancient threat known as Marka Ragnos"_ , the voice of the mysterious man echoed in his head. "Marka Ragnos", Luke spoke out to the humanoid. Ragnos smiled as the Jedi recognized his foe. "Surprised Jedi?", he asked Luke. "I must admit", Luke stated firmly, "You're shorter than I expected". Ragnos ignored Luke's comment as his eyes shifting between Luke and Ahsoka. "Without the Togruta's help, I would still be trapped in that tomb", Ragnos confessed as he got out a huge vibrosword. "Luke, I had nothing to do with this, I swear", Ahsoka tried reasoning to Luke. But Luke simply put his hand up to stop her, he knew that Ahsoka didn't do it on purpose. She was tricked, just like how he was tricked into believing that Ahsoka would betray him. "She was deceived by you", Luke spat back, he called his lightsaber towards him. It's green blade igniting upon contact. "But I must say Ragnos, you disappoint me. Why do you need all of these loyalists? Surely the sith aren't that weak", Luke mockingly asked.

"It is you who is misguided Skywalker. I haven't come to kill you. I want you", Ragnos stated as he slowly marched towards them, gripping the vibrosword tighter. "As an apprentice?", Luke asked as he pointed his lightsaber towards the resurrected sith lord. "No. A vessel", Ragnos responded. Luke's face fell, "A vessel?". Ragnos nodded slowly and he gave a cold grin, "My physical body can no longer contain my power. But with you as the host, I can be unstoppable", Ragnos explained, "Your friends, however, must die". The Knights of Ren slowly circled around them. "Well I'm flattered by all this attention", Luke simply stated as he and Ahsoka got into a fighting position. Ragnos and the Knights of Ren got closer, raising their weapons waiting to strike. Suddenly they all fell to the floor screaming in pain. Electric sparks flying everywhere. Ren screamed as he tore his helmet away from him. Exposing his identity. Ahsoka gasped in horror as she saw Zyon on the floor being zapped by an electrical charge. Confused, Luke and Ahsoka looked at the inquisitor. In her hand was a switch, commanding the electrical charges to go off. "I have other plans for you", she said darkly. Ragnos screamed as he struggled to get up, "I should've killed you earlier!", he yelled at the inquisitor before being knocked unconscious.

The room was quiet, Luke and Ahsoka just stared at the inquisitor. Sabine and Ezra slowly drawing their respected weapons. "You're outnumbered inquisitor. We have you four to one", Ahsoka shouted as she twirled her lightsabers. The inquisitor simply laughed, "I'm not an inquisitor. I'm a assassin". She suddenly lunged at Ahsoka at immense speed. Ahsoka quickly blocked the blow with an "x" formation. The two sparred as the assassin kicked Ahsoka in the gut. Ahsoka grunted as she swung her blades at the assassin. Ahsoka quickly started getting the upper hand as she used the mastered form of Ataru. She kicked the assassin's helmet as she flipped over her. The assassin stumbled as she swung hard at Ahsoka. Ahsoka pinned the assassin to a corner, slowly reducing the amount of space between her and her own blade. "You're not very good at a lightsaber", Ahsoka taunted, "Even a youngling could do better than you". The assassin screamed in rage as she kicked Ahsoka in the groin. Ahsoka flinched in pain as her strength quickly weakend. The assassin took advantage and shot Ahsoka with a blaster. Ahsoka flew off of her with the huge amount of power the blast had. "Ahsoka!", Luke, Ezra and Sabine yelled out in horror. Ahsoka laid on the floor groaning in pain, the shot was absorbed by her chest plate, but it still left a painful mark. "You'll pay for that!", Ezra shouted as he charged at the assassin.

"Ezra don't!", Sabine protested.

But it was too late. The assassin got back up and exchanged blows with Ezra. She spun her lightsaber with a swift motion before slicing Ezra's skin open. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room. Using Ezra's sudden shock, she kicked him in the legs as she dodged his every move. Ezra collapsed to his knees, he screamed out in agony as the assassin crushed his hand and twisted it. The loud cracking of bones was heard over Ezra's screams. She punched him in the throat as she brought her lightsaber for a killing blow. The lightsaber flew out of her hand as a blaster bolt struck her. Sabine charged at the assassin, using the ends of her blasters to deliver a heavier blow. The two started doing hand to hand combat. Butting their helmets against one another. Sabine started using her gauntlet to try an get an advantage. But her harpoon cable was caught in mid departure. The assassin threw Sabine across. Sabine spun several times as she landed on her feat. "It takes a lot more to beat a Mandalorian", Sabine said as she gasped for air. "I'm the Emperor's hand, I've killed enemies more powerful than a Mando", the assassin spat back. The two went at it again, Sabine jumping in the air for a good kick in the gut. But the assassin quickly backflipped to avoid the oncoming limb. She grabbed Sabine's leg as she hurled her towards a wall. Sabine let out a grunt as her helmet was torn off of her. The assassin picked Sabine up by her neck, before slamming her to the ground. She grabbed a metal rod that was laying on the ground nearby, and slammed it against Sabine. A loud crack was heard as Sabine cried out in pain. Her nose started to bleed quickly as she started to fade into darkness.

The assassin got up from the bleeding Mandalorian, dropping the rod as she called her lightsaber as she turned to face Luke. Luke hadn't moved a bit, but he stood firm with his blade ignited. "Scared yet? Don't worry, what I'm about to do with you is way worse. You'd wish you were dead", the assassin stated as she marched towards him. She lunged at, swing her lightsaber with immense speed. Luke quickly dodged it as he brought his lightsaber for defense. The assassin tried pinning Luke against the wall, but Luke force pushed her away. The two continued to duel, clashing their lightsabers as they both tried to get an opening. Luke noticed that the assassin only knew a combination of form I, the Shii-Cho and form two, the Makashi. Yet she heavily relied on her speed and size.

"You need a teacher", Luke suggested as he started gaining the upper hand, "I can help you", he offered as he dodged another swing to the head. "I'm not accepting anything from you", the assassin spoke darkly. She somersaulted into him, kicking Luke straight in the chest. Luke coughed as he grasped for air. While distracted, the assassin quickly took an electric charge out, and stabbed it against Luke. Luke growled in pain as he suddenly felt an immense shock of pain spreading across his body. He fell to the floor, violently shaking as the electricity kept spreading. The assassin kicked him in the ribs, she brought out a small vibroblade as she aimed it at Luke's neck. But Luke grabbed her by the leg, sending some of the electricity to her. The blade fell to the floor as the assassin screamed in pain. Luke quickly got up and kicked the assassin in the gut. The assassin was slammed against a wall before collapsing on the floor, unconscious. Luke breathed heavily as he walked towards his friends. He checked on Ahsoka, she was still breathing. He removed her chest plate and grabbed a part of her robes. He wrapped her chest up as he noticed a bit of blood was starting to be released. He carefully carried her to a corner, setting her down. He walked over to Ezra, the poor man was knocked out due to the immense pain his broken arm was giving him. Luke grabbed the metal rod that the assassin had used. It was covered in blood, but it had to do. Luke firmly placed it against Ezra's broken arm, he used some of Ahsoka's robes to wrap a cast around it to firmly hold his arm together until helps arrived. He grabbed Sabine, who was nearby, and Ezra as he carefully dragged them next to Ahsoka.

They had severe injuries, most likely they wouldn't make it. But he was going to make sure they could last as long as they physically could. Luke grabbed their hands as he closed his eyes. He focused on the force, drawing his energy into them. Slowly, the wounds of Sabine and Ezra started to heal. The blood had stopped dripping from Sabine's nose. Ahsoka's black eye slowly regaining it's original color. Luke started to feel dizzy as the three in front of him slowly regain consciousness. Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open, "Luke", she said weakly. "Save your breath Ahsoka. I need you to get Sabine and Ezra out of here", Luke stated as he collapsed to the floor breathing heavily. He quickly got back up, calling his lightsaber towards him. Ahsoka shot up, fear in her eyes. She grabbed Luke's arm pulling him close. "Whatever you do, do it without the darkside", she said looking into his eyes. Luke nodded as he went back to facing his new opponent. The ignition of a lightsaber was heard as Luke focused on who stood in front of him. "Marka Ragnos, I hope you're not a disappointment", Luke states sarcastically.

"Why don't we find out Skywalker?".


	27. Duel of Fates Part I

Chapter 26

The air was still as Luke faced Marka Ragnos. His green blade reflecting off his skin. Sweat ran down his brow as he gripped his lightsaber close to him. Unlike Vader, Ragnos didn't have any potential weaknesses, he was pure muscle. Unlike his father who was half machine. But Luke knew that deep down, Ragnos was just as vulnerable as Palpatine. Overconfidence. Yes, overconfidence always threw the sith off. And hopefully this would be the same case. The fate of the galaxy was at stake. If he lost, Ragnos would take over his body, and force him to destroy everything he loved and worked hard to achieve. But if Luke won, the galaxy will never lose it's hope. And the next generation of Jedi Knights will rise. Luke closed his eyes as he let himself be guided by the force. Even on this planet with nothing but darkness, he could still feel the light radiating through the force. Both the presence of Ahsoka, Ezra and Sabine, and yet a light that outshined them all. The past. Something had happened here in the past, and its now forever tainted as a streak of light in the dark place. "I'm one with the force, the force is with me. I'm one with the force, and the force shall free me", Luke muttered to himself. He moved his footing to a defense position. Luke opened his eyes, his blue eyes shining brighter then ever.

Ragnos charged at Luke. He swung his vibrosword down at him. Luke immediately dodged the swing as he brought his lightsaber up for attack. The two blades interlocked, sparks flying everywhere. Luke spun back as he freed his blade. He twirled himself in the air as Ragnos struck low to the ground. Luke used his advantage of being smaller as he quickly swung the saber up. Ragnos staggered as he forced himself to remain on his feet. Luke kicked Ragnos in the face as he struck again. The cry of the saber giving a high pitch as it slid against the large vibrosword. Ragnos screamed as he suddenly started smashing down on Luke. The room was filling with sparks as Luke was pinned to the ground, Ragnos grabbed Luke's arm as he threw the Jedi across the room. Luke grunted as he hit the wall. Ragnos came again as he sent a force wave to keep Luke down. Luke threw his lightsaber at the sith lord. Ragnos jumped in time to miss the oncoming lightsaber. The lightsaber spun back to Luke's hand in time for Luke to block an incoming blow. Luke growled as he sent a huge force push towards Ragnos. But the sith lord was simply pushed only a few inches. Ragnos smiled as he brought his vibrosword down on Luke again. Luke had to cartwheel himself to safety as he barely dodged the swing. Luke spun on his feet as Ragnos brought his vibrosword down again. Ragnos punched Luke in the head, making his vision dizzy. Luke violently swung his lightsaber in the air as Ragnos dodged every attempt made upon him. Luke suddenly changed his position, trying to use a form of Ataru to gain the upper-hand. He was able to get a clean shot at Ragnos's head. Without hesitation he sliced off Ragnos's ear. Ragnos screamed in pain as the ear fell to the floor. The room was filled with the smell of burning flesh as Ragnos clutched his wound. He started force chocking Luke before throwing him across the room like a ragdoll.  


* * *

"Ahsoka we have to help him", Ezra stated as Sabine helped him get up. "No, you guys get out of here. I'll go help Luke", Ahsoka quickly barked. Ahsoka helped them reach the exit, but their path was blocked by Zyon and his Knights of Ren. "Where do you think you're going", he said darkly as he ignited his lightsaber. "Other way, other way!", Sabine yelled out as they tried to run away from them. But behind them, the roof collapsed once Luke pushed Ragnos into a wall. They were now trapped. The Knights of Ren slowly circled around them, Zyon signaled them to take out Ezra and Sabine. "I'll take care of the Togruta", he told them. Ahsoka activated her lightsabers as she faced Zyon. "You don't have to do this Zyon. We can all just walk away, it isn't too late for you", Ahsoka tried reasoning with him. Zyon simply chuckled at Ahsoka's attempt to persuade him. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to kill you. You always took the glory, while I lived in your shadow", Zyon and Ahsoka started walk in circles hoping to find an opening to each others defense. "I was the one who taught you how to wield your pathetic lightsabers. The one making sure that Master Yoda could see our progress. I was already a padawan when you barely joined the rank of youngling. I was meant to be the padawan of the Chosen One, not you!", Zyon shouted as he lunged forward. Ahsoka blocked his blow as she kicked him in the side. "Master Yoda chose me over you because I was more disciplined", she yelled back as she jumped into the air. The two continued to duel as Ahsoka was starting to get a upper-hand. Zyon violently swung at Ahsoka. "Discipline? You were the brattiest child of us all. You lacked everything!", Zyon swung again aiming for the head. But Ahsoka gracefully dodged his every move. "I may have been a brat, but I learned so much since then. I matured, and I understand that my powers have limits. Unlike someone like you, consumed by darkness. Only the weak embrace it", Ahsoka said as she blocked another blow. She force pushed Zyon onto the ceiling. Zyon let out a small grunt as he hit the ceiling, his lightsaber released from his grip. "And if I didn't know you, you wouldn't have lasted this long", Ahsoka said arrogantly as she walked around him. Zyon got back up as he grabbed his lightsaber. "Still having the arrogance of Master Kenobi, I see. Well you should know Ahsoka, once Ragnos defeats Skywalker, the sith will be reborn", he activated his lightsaber and gave it a twirl as he marched towards Ahsoka.

"The sith are dead Zyon. Luke has defeated them, I have defeated sith in the past as well. What makes you think that Ragnos would win?", Ahsoka asked as she swung her twin blades at him. Zyon blocked her attack as he punched her face with his arm. "It doesn't matter if Skywalker wins or loses his duel. Ragnos would still win, he'll take over his mind, destroy his soul until the only thing remaining are his powers and physical body. He'll bring chaos as Luke Skywalker, but with the wisdom of Marka Ragnos. And there is nothing you can do about it", he laughed as he swung his blade down on Ahsoka. Ahsoka was trapped as she formed an "X" with her lightsabers. She pushed Zyon away, no longer caring if he was once an old friend. "He won't lay a hand on Luke as long as I'm alive!", she shouted as she kicked Zyon's face. Zyon staggered back in the sudden impact on his face. He let out a small grin as he slid his lightsaber between Ahsoka's blades.  


  


"That's the idea".  


* * *

The blade swung down as Sabine dodged another attack from one of the Knights of Ren. Ezra was having a hard time to block the attacks, the knights were fast and strong. He was malnourished and very weak. Not to mention he had a broken arm and hand. Erza violently swung his green lightsaber at the Knights of Ren. But they blocked his attack with their own melee weapons. Sabine punched one of the Knights in the gut as she dodged another attack from behind. One of the Knights, Kuruk, was able to take Sabine off her feet. He kicked her around as Ushar and Trudgen engaged Ezra once again. Ezra forced pushed them to the side as he went to aid his Mandalorian friend. Sabine quickly got up as she used her gauntlet on one of the Knights. Fire spitted out of her gauntlet as the Knights were forced to back off. "We're trapped!", Sabine shouted as her gauntlet redeveloped her shields. "Just like old times huh, Bine?", Ezra asked trying to lighten to mood. "Now's not the time!", she barked back as she kicked Ushar away. Trudgen suddenly pulled out a small vibroblade as he charged directly at Ezra. Ezra had his back turned to him as he fought the other Knights. Sabine turned around in the last minute, but that was too slow for a proper reaction.  


  


"Ezra look out!"  


* * *

Luke blocked another incoming swing. He was growing tired. Everytime he'd attempt to strike him, Ragnos would meet him ten times faster. Sweat started getting into his eyes as he tried avoiding another swing. He felt the duels between Ahsoka and Zyon, and the one of Ezra and Sabine desperately trying to find an escape route. But the results of their fights hardly mattered if Luke lost. Ragnos would use him to destroy anyone who opposed him. Luke jumped into the air as he got out of the blades reach. "Growing tired Jedi?", Ragnos tauntingly asked as he swung again, this time having his weight pin Luke down. Luke struggled to breathe as Ragnos started crushing him. He focused his mind on one of the nearby pillars. He called for it as he desperately fought back. Ragnos was suddenly sent flying when the pillar struck him. Ragnos let out a growl as he tried to get up. Luke supported himself to the wall, taking deeps breathes as he started to clear his mind. Ragnos screamed as he got up and tackled Luke. He grabbed Luke by the head. Luke let out a blood curdling scream as Ragnos started to enter his mind. Luke fell to his knees as he tried to fight the sith lord from taking over his body. "I've won Jedi. You have failed. It's useless to resist", Ragnos stated as he continued to try and break Luke's mind. It would take some time, Luke was fighting him trying to protect what was rightfully his. Ragnos suddenly stopped as he was shot in the shoulder. He lost his concentration, Luke's spirit forcing his own to retreat back into his body. He failed as he tried again but was unable to get back into Luke's head.

Another blaster fire hit Ragnos in the back, almost missing the spine. The blaster bolt did minimal damage as Ragnos simply absorbed the energy. But it was still painful. Ragnos turned to see the assassin, Mara Jade, holding the blaster rifle in her hand. "Get away from him. He's mine", Mara spat coldly. "Assassin" Ragnos said in disgust, "I should have killed you first!". Ragnos charged at Mara, he swung his vibrosword down on her as she quickly jumped over him. She activated her lightsaber as she met Ragnos's weapon. The two continued to duel before Ragnos slapped her away. Mara fell to the floor as soon as she hit the wall. Her helmet was no longer on her, it was destroyed in one of Ragnos's attacks. Revealing her face and red hair. She attempted to block another blow until Ragnos let out a fit of rage upon her. He kept bashing his vibrosword at her lightsaber, the only thing between it and Mara.

Slowly but surely, Mara's gripped weakend. Her lightsaber was flung across the room, leaving her defenseless. Ragnos smiled as he finally saw victory. "Now you will die!", he said as he brought his vibrosword down on her. Mara let out a shriek as she expected to be impaled by Ragnos's blade. But she was met with nothing. Mara opened her eyes in confusion. Why didn't he kill her? But as soon as she looked up she saw it. Luke Skywalker's lightsaber intercepted Ragnos's killing blow. Ragnos looked up at annoyance to see Luke standing next to him, staring directly into his soul. Before Ragnos could make a move, Luke forced pushed him into a wall. Mara was silent, wondering why the man she so desperately wanted to kill, had just saved her. He was the bad guy after all, the villain in her eyes. Luke didn't speak as he walked towards her, he suddenly extended his hand at her. He was giving her an offer, a plea. She couldn't take Ragnos out alone, and neither could he. But together, they could take him out. Mara would just need another plan to kill him after all of this was over. And before she knew it, Mara accepted Luke's offer. Luke helped Mara up to her feet as he gave back her lightsaber. "Don't thank me yet", he said facing towards Ragnos. The two ignited their respected weapons, facing their foe. Ragnos stood up in amusement, "At last, a challenge".

He charged at them, jumping in the air and spinning as he caught both their blades. Mara used Luke as leverage as she jumped over Ragnos and struck him in the back. Luke ducked as Ragnos swung wide. He used his momentum to push Ragnos as he came back up. The sith lord tripped over Mara as she ducked behind him. Luke jumped in the air before using his lightsaber to strike Ragnos. The tip of Luke's blade sliced open Ragnos's face. The sith lord yelled out in pain as he attacked Mara. The three continued to duel, Luke and Mara covering each other's weak spots as Marka Ragnos advanced. Mara suddenly wrapped her self around Ragnos's arm, pinning him down and making him vulnerable to Luke. Luke swung his blade to Ragnos's chest, but Ragnos stopped the incoming blow with the force. Luke struggled to get his lightsaber out of the invisible grip. He decided to aim it at his hand instead of his chest. Luke managed to move his lightsaber to the hand that held the vibrosword.

Luke sliced at the vibrosword. Multiple shards flew everywhere, as both the handle and the blade broke apart. "No!", Ragnos yelled in horror as he threw Mara and Luke away from him. Luke and Mara jumped back up immediately, "You've lost Ragnos. Surrender now", Luke ordered as he reignited his lightsaber. "Screw surrender, he deserves to die", Mara barked as she charged at the unarmed sith lord. "Wait No!", Luke shouted at the assassin. But it was too late. Ragnos unleashed a storm of lightning from his hands. The purple-blue mix lightning sent Mara flying across the room. The lightning then moved onto Luke. Luke immediately blocked it with his lightsaber, he could feel the immense heat as he remembered how years earlier Palpatine unleashed his rage upon him. Back then, he had his father to save him, now he was alone. Luke let the force guide him as he inched closer to Ragnos. His lightsaber blade was starting to bend as the amount of energy was starting to overwhelm it. Mara jumped back into the fight, igniting her lightsaber as she stared to deflect the lightning. Ragnos struggled as he kept releasing more lightning. He fell on his knee as he yelled out a battle cry. The floor beneath them started to crack as it could no longer hold their weight. Luke and Mara continued to walk forward, despite of their lightsaber's blades bending towards them. Luke had no choice but to end it all, and if Ragnos somehow managed to take over his body, then he'll have the assassin end his life. It's better to be dead then be forced to bring havoc and chaos on those you love. Luke tightened his grip as he inched closer to Ragnos. "This ends now!".

* * *

Ahsoka blocked another blow as she and Zyon continued to duel. Zyon called his mask to him as Ahsoka jumped over him again. The mask flew past Ahsoka, barely missing her. Zyon caught it and put it on. "Need a mask to help you?", Ahsoka tauntingly asked. "No, but I'm sure Anakin Skywalker needed his, or should I say Darth Vader?", Zyon barked back. Ahsoka quickly fell quiet at the mention of Anakin. "What's the matter? Sith caught your tongue?", Zyon said tauntingly as he swung at Ahsoka again. Ahsoka growled in rage as she trapped Zyon's lightsaber. She kicked him in the gut as she brought her lightsaber to his face. Zyon dodged as he grabbed Ahsoka by her montrals. "Not again!", Ahsoka cried out as she was thrown across the room. _"Master Ren, we were able to disable the bomb",_ the voice of Cardo spoke in the comlink. Zyon grabbed the comlink to reply, "Fire up the engines and come to my position. We're getting out of here"  


* * *

"Ezra look out!", Sabine yelled at the top of her lungs. Ezra quickly turned to see Trudgen come at him at full speed. He tried to swing at the Knight, but Trudgen dodged the swing as he stabbed Ezra in the gut. Ezra let out a cry as the blade sunk deeper into his flesh. Blood started oozing out of Ezra as he lost his grip on the lightsaber. "Ezra!", Sabine cried out in horror. Without thinking Sabine grabbed his lightsaber and stabbed Trudgen in the chest. Trudgen let out a cry as Sabine pushed him to the floor. The Knights stopped fighting, rushing past Sabine as they tried to help their fallen brother. Zyon and Ahsoka had stopped dueling once they felt the death. "Trudgen, no!", Zyon cried out. He ran towards the fallen knight. He force pushed Ezra and Sabine away from his knights. Zyon grabbed Trudgen's hand. "It's alright Trudgen, I'm here", he said softly. He removed Trudgen's mask, to reveal a young boy, no older than 13, with dark brown hair. He had freckles and still had a baby face. Trudgen grabbed Zyon's hand as he choked on his own blood. "I'm sorry Master Ren, I wasn't strong enough. I'm...sorry", Trudgen suddenly stopped breathing. His hand fell to on the floor, lifeless. The place was suddenly silent. Sabine threw Ezra's lightsaber away from her in shock. She had just killed a boy, a child.

Ahsoka calmed Ezra down as he struggled to breathe. He remained seated as he clutched the blade that had entered his body. She tried to get Sabine's attention but Sabine was still in her shock phase. She turned to Zyon and watched as he clutched the boy. "This is what happens when you use the darkside Zyon. You cause pain and suffering on both sides. None of this would've happened if you just left us alone", Ahsoka stated quietly. Suddenly Sabine started floating in mid air, she started clawing her throat as she struggled to breathe. Zyon slowly stood up, one hand force chocking Sabine, and the other held the lifeless Trudgen. Sabine was slowly losing consciousness with each stroke to free her windpipe. "Zyon, stop this!", Ahsoka shouted, in a fit of desperation she threw her lightsabers at him. The lightsabers spun at immense speed before chopping Zyon's hand off. Zyon screamed out in pain as his hand laid on the floor. Sabine fell to the floor, her eyes were rolled back as her body fell limb. Ahsoka helped her up, but she was barely breathing. Suddenly the wall behind the Knights of Ren exploded. The _Night Buzzard_ came into view as it flew close to them. The sudden exposing of sun light blinded Ahsoka as she tried tending to Ezra and Sabine. The Knights of Ren started firing their weapons at her as they slowly retreated into the _Night Buzzard_. Ahsoka reflected each blaster bolt, trying to hit the Transport. The platform of the _Night Buzzard_ opened and lowered as Ap'lek and Cardo walked out, firing their blasters at Ahsoka. Zyon followed the Knights in retreat. "Master Ren, what about Master Ragnos?", Ap'lek asked as he help the other Knights aboard. "Leave him. We had no chance", Zyon stated as he gave Ap'lek the body of Trudgen.

Ahsoka cried in pain as a blaster bolt hit her shoulder. She kept reflecting all incoming blaster fire, but they were starting to overwhelm her. The Temple suddenly shook as the wall near them collapsed. Luke and Mara were thrown through the wall as force lightning started to fill the room. Ragnos forced them back onto their feet as they blocked the dangerous energy from cooking them alive. Ahsoka quickly looked at them confused. Who was that red head? Was she the assassin? If that's the case, why was she helping Luke? The realization suddenly hit her, just like how the blaster fire had hit her shoulder. The assassin was using him for her benefit. "Luke!", she shouted at the top of her lungs. But her yell was muted as the _Night Buzzard's_ engines roared loudly. The Knights entered the shuttle, still firing every now and then as Ahsoka tried to reach Luke. "Ahsoka", Zyon called out. Ahsoka turned to him, her lekku swung around like crazy as the power of the Night Buzzard's engines blew into the temple. Zyon took out a thermal detonator and threw it near where Luke and Mara were still fighting Ragnos. "No!", Ahsoka shouted as she jumped to catch it. But the thermal detonator exploded before it reached its target.

The room was filled with a sudden shockwave and a blinding light. Everyone was thrown away from the explosion. As soon as the light vanished, the floor underneath them started to crack. The Temple started to collapse as it was being blown apart. Ragnos, Luke and Mara still continued to fight. Ragnos had grabbed the weapon of Trudgen and started slashing it at them. They were unaware that the floor had become unstable. Ragnos suddenly jumped and kicked Luke and Mara to the middle of the room. He then charged at them as he unleashed another storm of lightning to hurl at them. But the floor immediately caved in as Ragnos had gotten close to Luke and Mara. Both Ragnos, Luke and Mara all fell into the newly formed hole. Luke and Mara let out a scream as the got consumed by darkness. "Luke!", Ahsoka shouted in horror as she watched Luke fall into the hole. But the hole started to expand, Ahsoka quickly ran towards safety. But the floor beneath her suddenly collapsed. She began falling into the hole, but she caught an edge that was close to Ezra and Sabine. She started to pull herself up, when a blaster bolt hit a rock near her. "There is only one outcome Ahsoka", Zyon yelled from the platform as he held a small blaster pointing at her. "Wait, Zyon don't", Ahsoka pleaded as she struggled to grab another rock. "Goodbye", Zyon stated as he fired at Ahsoka's hand. Ahsoka winced in pain as she clutched her hand. But she immediately noticed her mistake. "No!", she yelled as she suddenly fell into the deep black void.  


* * *

Zyon watched in amusement as Ahsoka fell into the hole. He tossed the blaster aside as if it was trash. The platform closed behind him as he entered the Night Buzzard. Zyon walked towards the body of Trudgen. He was covered up in a white sheet, waiting to be buried. " _Is he dead?"_ a voice suddenly said. Zyon looked around to see who spoke. But none of the knights spoke. They were busy mourning the loss of their peer. _"Who's this?",_ Zyon asked the voice inside your head. _"Why surely you haven't forgotten, we met on Coruscant",_ the voice replied. _"Snoke?",_ Zyon asked. He heard a chuckle echo in his head. _"I assume Ragnos will soon be defeated?",_ Snoke asked through the force. _"Not yet, but he will soon. I had retreated, I lost one of mine. I wasn't strong enough to protect him",_ Zyon stated as a couple of tears ran down his face _. "I can show you the path for power Ren, for revenge. Head to the planet of Malachor. There, I will begin your training",_ Snoke said before vanishing. _"Yes, my Master",_ Zyon simply replied. "Kuruk", Zyon said grabbing the attention of the young knight. "Yes Master?", Kuruk asked. "Set course for Malachor", Zyon stated as he wrapped his arm that no longer had a hand. "Malachor? What will we be doing there?", Kuruk asked as he headed towards the cockpit. "We will have our revenge", Zyon simply stated before leaving the Knights be. The _Night Buzzard_ started to gain altitude before the engines roared to life. It sent a shockwave throughout the Temple, as it started to leave the atmosphere.  


* * *

Ezra popped his head out of the rubble, trying not to move as much as possible. The blade was still stuck in him, if he tried to pull it out, he would certainly die. "Sabine, Sabine. Please wake up", he cried out to the Mandalorian. She was laying on the floor. No sign of breathing from what Ezra could tell. Her body was stiff when Ezra tried lifting her. "No, please don't go", he cried. He watched the _Night Buzzard_ get smaller and smaller as it rose in altitude. His eyes fell on the hole that Ahsoka have fallen in. It was deep from what he could tell. "Ahsoka?", he called out. No response. "This is all my fault", Ezra said to himself. If he didn't risked sending himself and Thrawn into hyperspace, none of this would've happened. They would've still been alive if he hadn't acted.

Ezra suddenly felt a warm liquid spreading around his gut. He looked down to see the blade was no longer there. It was on the floor covered in blood. "Karabast", he cursed as he immediately put pressure on his wound. The blood was spreading everywhere now, he started to feel weak. Everyone was gone, he didn't know if someone could come rescue them. There was no hope. Ezra felt his eyelids growing heavier as he kept losing blood. "Somebody, help us", he called out weakly, he knew no one would hear him. But he wouldn't lose hope. Ezra looked up at the sky one last time, his vision started getting dizzy. In the distance a small saucer shape ship entered the atmosphere. But before he could identify what type of ship it was, his eyelids finally closed shut, embracing the darkness.  


  



	28. Duel of Fates Part II

Chapter 27

The world was a dark endless void. _"Check every room!",_ a muffled voice ordered in the distance. _"Clear!",_ several voices replied as footsteps got louder. _"Clear!",_ the voices shouted again. The footsteps gotten louder and heavier with each step. Ezra fluttered his eyes open as he heard the distant yelling coming closer and closer. He could barely see his surroundings, everything was still blurry. But he could feel someone coming. "Over here! Help us", Ezra whimpered softly. _"I hear someone. Over here, let's move, move, move!",_ shouted the voices. "Help", Ezra called out again. He could hear the footsteps getting louder. The floor vibrated softly as each step got closer. His face was suddenly met with a bright light. Ezra flinched away in pain as he collapsed on top of Sabine. "Commander I found them!", a deep male voice yelled out. "Inform the Generals immediately! Lets get them out of here", commanded the commander. A series of movement and orders echoed in Ezra's head. Ezra passed out again as several armed soldiers started to wrap their arms around him.

* * *

Han and Leia ran out of the Millennium Falcon. They watched as several New Republic soldiers ran out of the old temple, which were now in ruins. "Oh, Thank the maker!", C-3PO shouted in glee as he saw R2-D2 strolled behind the squad of soldiers. "R2-D2, I was so worried about you", C-3PO said as he patted the astromech droid. Artoo let out a small chirp as he gave his thanks to the happy protocol droid for the fast response to his message. A small pebble was suddenly thrown at him and hit Artoo, a short orange astromech droid, known as Chopper, left laughing like a mad man. "How rude", C-3PO said in disgust, "Don't listen to anything that droid says Artoo. He should've been scrapped and sold to the Jawas ages ago. He's a menace to society". Artoo let out an agreeable whistle as the two headed back to the Falcon.

"General Solo, Senator Organa", Commander Lee acknowledged as his troops ran past them and towards the medical center as they carried two unconscious bodies. "What's your report Commander Lee?", Leia asked as they walked towards the medical center. "We found Ms.Wren and a young man whose severally malnourished. Both are in critical condition. However, there was no sign of Commander Skywalker or Ms.Tano. But we did find Skywalker's lightsaber", Commander Lee stated as he handed Leia the lightsaber. Leia looked closely at the saber in her hand. It was similar to Luke's lightsaber at first glance, but the hilt was actually completely different from Luke's design. "It's not Luke's", Leia suddenly said as she handed back the saber. "Are you sure Leia?", Han asked her confused. "It's not Luke's design. This is someone else's saber"., Leia said confidently. They walked into the medical center they had set up. Leia and Han watched from afar as Sabine and the young man were put into bacta tanks. "Looks like they took quite a beating", Han noted as Chewbacca was joining them. _"RRWWWGG",_ Chewbacca roared as he entered the room. "You said it Chewie", Han agreed with the giant wookie. "The patient, Sabine Wren is waking up", announced the medical droid as it lowered the bacta tank. "Let me talk to her", Leia suggested as she walked up to her. "Better be quick Leia, Chewbacca says that General Syndulla is heading this way. And she's in a very bad mood, almost killing that blue guy we found tied up", Han said a bit nervous. He didn't want to see an angry Twi'lek anywhere near his wife or worse, near the Falcon.

"General", Commander Lee suddenly said, "We found something in the room that might be of some interest". Leia nodded at Han and Chewbacca to go check it out. "Grab a flashlight Chewie, we're going dark", Han said as he followed Commander Lee. Chewbacca let out a growl as he followed the ex-smuggler out of the camp. Leia was left alone with the medical droid and the two injured individuals. Sabine slowly woke up as she struggled to move. "Sabine", Leia said scarring the Mandalorian. "Hey, its alright. I need you to tell me what happened", Leia spoke softly. "They're everywhere", Sabine shouted in dismay, "They attacked us. There's too many of them!", Sabine started to breathe heavily as she tried freeing herself from her restraints. "Sabine calm down", Leia said as she put her hands up in defense. "I killed one! I killed a child! No, no. Please No!", Sabine started shaking violently as she continued to breathe heavily, "Ezra... Ezra... EZRA!", Sabine suddenly lunged at Leia. Leia quickly took a syringe and stabbed it in Sabine's neck. Sabine's eyes rolled back as she immediately slummed back on her restraints. Leia swiped a bit of sweat as she carefully placed the syringe back in place.

"You're lucky that was just a sedative. Otherwise I'd have to declare the patient as deceased", the medical droid stated sarcastically. "What do you think happened to her. She was just fine a couple of days ago?", Leia asked the droid. "A sudden outburst like this may be related with a panic attack", the droid tried reasoning, "I'd suggest she remains in the bacta tank for a couple of days. To relieve the stress".

"She mentioned a name", Leia said as she rubbed her chin. She turned to the medical droid as it placed Sabine back into the bacta tank. "Pull up everything you have on an Ezra Bridger", she asked politely. The droid pulled up a file and displayed it in front of Leia. Ezra Bridger, Jedi Padawan to Kanan Jarrus, age 18. Last known location: Lothal. Missing in Action. Leia's eyes suddenly opened in realization. The man in the bacta tank was Ezra Bridger. She could see it now, he was skinner and had a beard. But Leia could recognize the face of the young man she had met long ago. "It appears we found our missing persona", the droid remarked, "I'll update the file, and make sure he gets the proper treatment". Leia nodded as she got up to leave. She suddenly came face to face with the green Twi'lek Hera Syndulla. Hera looked like a mess as she entered the room. "How is she?", Hera asked blocking Leia's way. "They're doing fine", Leia lied as she offered a small smile. They were far from just fine, but the Twi'lek didn't need to know that right now. "They?", the Twi'lek asked suspiciously, "I thought your report indicated that Ahsoka was still missing". Leia rubbed her neck as she tried to find a way past the Twi'lek. "I wasn't referring to Ahsoka", Leia paused as she took a deep breathe, "She found him". Hera's face was suddenly filled with various emotions all happening at once. She ran past Leia, much to Leia's delight. Hera spotted her former Ghost crew members floating inside the bacta tanks. She covered her mouth with her hands and tears started to roll down her face. Leia stood there awkwardly as she slowly moved towards the exit. Her comlink suddenly sprung to life _. "Leia, I need you to come to the temple. You might want to see this",_ Han said over the comm. "I'll be there shortly", Leia replied as she put her comlink away. Leia looked over towards the Twi'lek. She had her hands planted on the bacta tanks as she watched Sabine and a weak Ezra continue to float around in the bacta tank. "I'll leave you be", Leia told the Twi'lek before leaving the medical center.

* * *

A prosthetic hand shot up from the pile of rubble. Luke Skywalker rose from the pile of stone tossing pieces around to make room. He got up to his feet as a soft slim hand soon joined in. He went to remove the arm around him, when he suddenly felt a sharp blade hovering over his neck. Mara Jade rose from the ground behind him. Her arm wrapped around Luke's neck, holding him hostage. Luke slowly raised his hands in defeat. He eyed his surroundings looking for his lightsaber. He suddenly felt a familiar cylinder object pressed behind his back. "You have nowhere to run now, Jedi", Mara whispered into his ear. Her fingers started to hover over the lightsaber's ignition switch as she brought her small knife closer to Luke's neck. "Wait", Luke blurted out, "We need to keep working together if we want to defeat Ragnos". Mara paused for a moment, it's true. Her sudden alliance with Skywalker almost brought down that blasted sith lord. But it was Zyon's stupid actions that made them lose. "Alright, here's a deal", Mara spat out coldly, "We go and kill Ragnos. Then after that I kill you, how does that sound?".

"I'm all for it. Except the killing me part", Luke stuttered out as he lowered his hands. Mara pressed the blade harder on Luke's neck. Luke let out a short gasp. "You don't get a say in this. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Do we have a deal or not?", Mara stated and she pressed Luke's lightsaber harder into his back. "Deal. We have a deal", Luke replied cautiously. "Good boy", Mara whispered in his ear as she removed the blade and lightsaber from him. She started walking away from him as Luke turned around to face her. "A simple 'thank you' would've been nice", Luke called out. Mara looked back at the Jedi Knight, "Don't flatter yourself Flyboy", she commented before walking deeper into the dark.

* * *

Ahsoka opened her eyes as she clutched her hand. The blaster shot had burned a bit of her hand armor. She was lucky to even have it at the time. Her head screamed in pain, she looked around her surroundings. It was pitch black, but she was able to see a figure. Ahsoka grabbed her lightsabers as she slowly got up. She pointed her weapon towards the figure as her blades ignited. It was an old statue of a Rakatan warrior. Ahsoka exhaled as she lowered her weapons. She suddenly heard footsteps around her. Ahsoka raised her lightsabers into attack position. The footsteps echoed around her, it got louder and closer before it quickly went silent. It kept doing this until Ahsoka started walking backwards. She looked everywhere, trying to use her lekku to hear any sudden movement.

She bumped into a wall. Or at least she hoped in was a wall. She felt breathing down her neck. "Luke?", Ahsoka asked hopefully. She felt a hand stroke her lekku. Ahsoka quickly turned around, ready to strike at the hand. The hand was large and red. It retracted back into the dark. Ahsoka heard pieces of stone falling to the ground. She saw a large shadow slowly growing in size. Bright yellow eyes illuminated the shadow. "Ragnos?", Ahsoka asked as feared filled her voice. Ragnos suddenly lunged at Ahsoka. Ahsoka could only let out a scream before dropping her lightsabers. The lightsabers clattered on the floor, as Ahsoka's legs dangled in the air.

* * *

"Why did you save me anyway?", Mara spoke up as she and Luke continued to walk in the dark. "You could have walked away with your life, and killed Ragnos in the process", Mara added. Luke let out a sly smile as he walked along side the assassin. "You needed help", he simply replied. "I can take care of myself, you nerf herder", Mara spat at him. Luke raised a brow as they continued to walk. "I never caught your name", Luke suddenly said as they continued. "Why should you care? You're going to die soon enough, you filthy Jedi scum", Mara barked at him. Luke huffed at the assassin's attempt to scare him. "You're not going to kill me. Though I love your enthusiasm", Luke replied. Mara quickly pinned Luke to a nearby wall, she activated Luke's lightsaber and stabbed it next to the wall, inches from Luke's head. "Don't test my patience Flyboy. I won't hesitate in driving this lightsaber into your face", Mara removed the lightsaber as she spat on Luke's face. Luke wiped the saliva off his face as he watched Mara continue to walk further into the dark. "You had your shot, on Coruscant. Yet you didn't take it, why?", Luke asked as he started following her. Mara stopped in her tracks, she didn't know how to respond to that. Truth be told, she didn't know the answer herself. "I just needed those stupid Knights of Ren out of the way, and you were the solution", Mara lied as she started walking again. "That's not it. I saw how you handled them, you didn't need me. You're conflicted. I can feel the conflict in you", Luke calmly stated as he caught up to her. "Oh really? Wow I must be something special then", Mara sarcastically remarked. She glared at Luke as he walked closer to her. "There's more to you than you possibly know", Luke added.

Mara rolled her eyes at Luke's attempt to get her to talk to him. She was already regretting not ending it all there with his lightsaber at hand. She activated his lightsaber and swung it down to his torso. Luke stopped in his tracks as the heat of the blade radiated into him. "Listen genius, I am not conflicted, you don't know anything about me. I took down your entire gang of misfits. And I'll take you down as well", Mara raised the lightsaber above Luke's head, trying to scare him off. But Luke remained in position, his face calmer than ever. "Then do it", Luke stated calmly. Mara's eyes widen at Skywalker's calmness. Her attempt to scare him didn't work. But she didn't want him to know that. Mara narrowed her eyes and she gripped the lightsaber even tighter. Several minutes past of pure silence. Mara tried reasoning with herself that this is what she wanted, she wanted Luke Skywalker dead for taking away the man she saw as a father, for murdering her child in cold blood. She wanted to kill the last of the Jedi, to end the people who were responsible for taking away her only family. But she couldn't do it. Something inside her kept telling her to not bring down the saber to an innocent man. _He is far from innocent,_ Mara tried telling herself. _And you are?_ , her conscience told her. Luke watched as Mara was trying to fight herself. "There's still good in you. You can feel it, can't you.The pull towards the light?", he asked her. Mara kept her glare on Luke as she struggled to hold onto the saber. _He's right you know_ , her conscience told her, _the light calls to us._

_We've_ _never embraced the light, only the weak wield such power,_ Mara argued as her hands started to get sweaty. _Then he can help us change_ , argued her conscience, _we need someone to show us our place in all of this_. Sweat started to drip down her forehead as she continued to contemplate. _We don't need him. He murdered everyone I cared about. He can't help us!_ Her conscience was quiet for a moment, before it spoke again. _Look at yourself Mara. You're lost. Confused. Hurt._ _Tortured for years to become the best assassin in the Empire. The Jedi weren't responsible for Galen Marek's death. It was Palpatine, you were there that day. Skywalker wasn't the one to kill your child, Vader had already planned it out way before the Battle of Endor. You know this, don't lie to yourself. We can end this cycle of pain and suffering. Join him, do you really want to go back and continue to be used and tortured?_ Mara let tears flow down her eyes as she slowly started to lower the lightsaber. Her conscience was right, she could go away from all this. Leave the Empire behind, stop becoming Rax's slave. She could have a happier life, but she'll still feel empty. _You know what's the right thing to do Mara,_ her conscience spoke softly before vanishing. Mara lowered the saber down completely before turning it off. There was silence between the two. Both unable to read each other's faces in the dark. But Luke could feel the conflict settling around the assassin, she was lost, and confused as to why she had lowered her defenses. "How are you doing this to me?", she asked Luke all of a sudden, "I've been trained all my life to not hesitate to kill, no second thoughts. Yet with you... Its different", she admitted, "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strengths to do it. Will you help me?". Luke softly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Anything", Luke spoke softly as he looked into Mara's green eyes, "There is still good in you".

"How can you see the good in me? I'm the Emperor's hand. His personal assassin, I've done many horrible things in the name of the Empire", Mara said looking down in shame. Luke gave her a sad smile, "I know from experience, there's good even in the coldest heart".

"I just don't understand. I should hate you. You killed everyone I knew. Vader, Palpatine... ", Mara paused as tears continued to flow down her face, "My daughter", Mara confessed as she looked away. Luke looked confused for a second before coming to a realization. "How old was your daughter?", he asked hoping in not stepping over boundaries. "She would've been seven or eight now, I had her at an early age, so I'm not really sure. The last time I saw her was prior the Emperor's defeat on Endor. She was aboard the second Death Star. Vader promised to look after her, I just assumed you killed her as well", Mara responded as she got out of Luke's grasp. "Is her name Jaina Jade?", Luke asked softly. Mara spun around to face him. "How did you know her name?", she asked with both fear and hope in her voice. Luke stared at her before telling her the story:

* * *

**Flashback**

" _It was a few weeks after the Alliance's victory on Endor. Me and some men were out scouting the perimeter for any surviving imperials"._

"Any sign captain?", Luke asked as he removed his camouflage robe from himself. Many men were still tired after the celebration last week. Many even got busy. "No sign commander", Captain Rex stated as they continued walking through the forest. They watched a few ewoks pass by as they rested near a few trees. "We haven't seen any imperials ever since they evacuated their nearby outpost", Kes Dameron stated as he took a sip of water. A few whined in agreement trying to convince Luke to let them rest. "Alright", Luke said defeated, "We'll rest for today. But tomorrow morning we pick up the slack". Everyone agreed as they packed their stuff and heading back to base. "Rex", Luke called out to the Clone Wars veteran. The old clone turned to look at the young Jedi Knight. "Thanks for telling me the stories about my father", Luke stated. "Any time kiddo", Rex replied before joining the others. Luke sat on the floor of the as he set up a small fire place and sleeping bag near it. He rested his head on top of his pillow as he stared at the night sky. He heard the ewoks and remaining rebels still celebrating out by the tree village. Luke closed his eyes as he focused on the soft breeze, the crackling fire wood and the rustling of leaves. He heard the music slowly die down as the sun started to set.

Luke started falling asleep until he heard footsteps coming close to him. It sounded like running. He heard a high pitch "NO!" as he startled awake. The sound of a blaster fire echoed throughout the forest. Luke jolted up as he grabbed his lightsaber. The sound of screaming was heard all around him before they were immediately silenced. Luke felt a huge gush of dark energy coming from a corner of the forest. Luke ran towards it, still with his lightsaber deactivated to not make his presence known. He suddenly heard crying, a child's cry. Luke stood there shocked and confused as to why a child was even near a war zone. At first he'd blame General Syndulla, but she had her child somewhere near the outer rim staying with one of her former crew members. It couldn't be him. Luke slowly moved towards the source of the crying, careful not to startle it.

Luke peered his head through a small bush as he observed what was in front of him. There was a little girl on her knees crying. The girl looked pale, though she had light tint of tan skin. She had dark red curly hair covering her face, and a loose-fitting worn out imperial tunic. Luke looked down at to what she was crying at, and he saw it. A small Ewok laid on the ground lifeless, a blaster wound was visible from its head. It was clearly dead. Luke felt sympathy for the little girl, the Ewoks were exceptionally good creature, if they weren't trying to eat you. But Luke suddenly saw two bodies of stormtroopers on the ground next to the little girl. The stormtrooper's heads were lolling at grotesque angles atop broken necks. He suddenly realized the immense power this little girl held. She had killed the unnamed troopers with the force. The troopers had killed the poor Ewok, before meeting a familiar fate when the little girl exacted her revenge. Unaware of her power, when the child-driven by mind-numbing grief and pure hatred had unleash the full fury of the darkside on the men who slaughtered her friend.

"She'll need help to understand her power", Luke whispered to himself as he watched from the bushes. Contemplating on how to introduce himself and not scare the little girl, Luke quietly got up and walked through the bush. "Hello there", Luke said as he gave a warm smile. The young girl stopped crying and looked up at Luke in fear. "Hey, it's okay", Luke reassured her as he got to her level. "What's your name?", he asked as he looked into her eyes. They were still red and puffy from all the crying, but her iris were a dark green, with a hint of sith yellow in them. "J-Jaina. Jaina Jade", the girl said with trembling in her voice. "Well it's nice to meet you Jaina", Luke spoke softly, "I'm Luke. Luke Skywalker". Jaina looked down at her dead companion at her feet. "He's dead", Jaina said softly as tears continued to stream down her face. Luke reached out and wiped a tear off of her. "Why don't we bury him", Luke suggested. Jaina gave a weak smile as Luke carefully picked up the deceased Ewok. He extended his hand for the little girl to hold onto.

Jaina accepted Luke's invitation as the two walked to a nearby tree. After they finished burying the body, Jaina set a small flower on top of the Ewok's grave. Luke watched in sorrow as Jaina walked back to him. "I hate to be a bother Jaina, but where are your parents?", he asked hoping they weren't dead or simply abandoned her. "Momma hasn't returned. She works for the Emperor, but she hardly comes to visit me anyway", Jaina sadly stated as she grabbed Luke's hand. "A father? Or a relative", Luke questioned the little girl. "I never knew my Pappa. And my uncle died before I was even born, Momma said so". Luke looked down at Jaina, her mother was still out there working for the Empire, but it was hardly possible that she'd still be alive at this point. She was an orphan now, with no-one to hold onto.

"Mister Skywalker", Jaina said as she pulled on Luke's sleeve. "Yes Jaina?", Luke asked as he smiled at her. "I didn't mean to kill those stormtroopers. It just, sort of happened... ", she muttered out. Luke bent down on his knee as he looked directly at Jaina. "Nothing just happens. You called upon the force", he explained. Jaina looked up to Luke in confusion. "The force?", she asked with a puzzled look. "The force is an energy field that combines us all, we're all connected to it. Some are more opened to it than others. And you Jaina, are strong with it", Luke then lifted a tiny pebble to show Jaina some abilities that one can use with the force. Jaina watched in amazement as the pebble floating in the air.

"So I have this power too?", Jaina asked with sparks behind her eyes. Luke simply nodded as he settled the pebble down. He got back up, offering his hand towards her. "Come with me, I can show you the ways of the force", Luke offered. Jaina looked at his hand, than back to hers, and then to the flower resting upon the grave. Without hesitation, Jaina grabbed Luke's hand. Luke smiled as he got his first new apprentice. The two left the grave and headed towards the rebel base.

_"I took her in as my padawan. Spent a year on training her how to handle her power. We went everywhere together..."_

**Yavin 4- Massassi Temple**

"Good Jaina, focus on the rock. Visualise it", Luke said as he sat across from her. Jaina struggled, visually shaking as she tried to lift the rock. The rock slowly lifted before it went down again. Jaina let out a frustrated sigh. "It's too big. You're asking for the impossible", Jaina whined as she crossed her arms in defeat. Luke chuckled as he remembered how a much younger version of himself said the exact same thing to Yoda. "My Master once told me that size doesn't matter. You're able to lift pebbles, it should be no different than lifting this rock", Luke stated calmly. "Ok, I'll try again", Jaina stated.

"No", Luke said suddenly, earning a confused look from Jaina, "Do or Do not, there is no try. Trust in the force, it is your ally. And a powerful one at that. Feel the force around you, its in you. In me, everywhere. Let it guide you", Luke explained as he lifted a different rock, one far bigger and heavier. Jaina closed her eyes again as she extended her hand towards the rock. She focus on it, called the force to help her out. Slowly but surely, the rock started lifting up. Jaina opened her eyes, still with her arm extended. She let out a shriek of joy as she saw the rock floating in the air. "Look Master Skywalker, I finally did it. I lifted the rock!", she yelled out with excitement. Luke chuckled as he congratulated Jaina in her improvement.

"Unfortunately, I was called back to service when the Empire took control of Jakku. I had to leave Jaina behind to keep her safe from the war. After the Republic's victory over Jakku, I went across the galaxy in hopes to continue my training, to become a proper Jedi Master. I left her with a good friend of mine on Ajan Kloss, where she'd remain safe until my return..."

"Are you sure you have to go Master Luke? I can come with you", suggested Jaina. "I'm sorry Jaina, but I have to do this alone. It may take a while until I return", Luke said sadly. Jaina hugged Luke tightly, Luke was taken aback but he hugged her back. "You'll be safe here with Lor San Tekka. He'll take good care of you", Luke said as he looked up at the middle aged man. "That's right Jaina. I may not be a Jedi, or be force sensitive. But I do know the force. You'll be safe with me and continue your jedi training until Master Skywalker returns", San Tekka said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Now go on and play with the other kids, you hear now?", San Tekka spoke. Jaina nodded as she gave Luke a final hug. "Goodbye Master Luke", she said into his ear. "Goodbye Jaina, may the force be with you", Luke spoke softly. Jaina let go of Luke before joining her peers playing in the field.

"Don't you worry about a thing Master Jedi. By the time you return, the New Jedi Temple will be up and running. Maz Kanata already hired some crewmen", San Tekka reassured him. "Thank you Mr. San Tekka", Luke said as he extended his hand for a handshake, "Until we meet again?". San Tekka grabbed Luke's hand and shook it, "'Till we meet again".

**End of Flashback**

* * *

Mara sat down on a nearby stone. She couldn't believe it. Her daughter was alive. All this time, moping around and planning on ways to kill Luke Skywalker for revenge and all this time she was alive! "How, why didn't I sense her?", Mara cried out. Her eyes suddenly widen when she come to realization. She had helped unleashed the seemingly powerful Sith Lord Marka Ragnos into the galaxy, making him more deadlier than what she had once imagined. Luke went down on his knee as he caught Mara. "It's alright. You didn't know Ms. Jade", Luke tried comforting her. Mara got back up with Luke's help. She turned around to face him. The two were silent as tears continued to flow down Mara's face. She suddenly hugged Luke tightly. Luke was caught off guard by the assassin's sudden motion. "Thank you, for taking care of her", Mara managed to say as she choked on her tears. Luke patted her back to allow her to breathe. "Your welcome Ms. Jade", Luke replied.

"Mara", the assassin mumbled out. "I'm sorry?", Luke asked as he thought he misheard the assassin. "Earlier you asked what my name was. It's Mara. Mara Jade", Mara said confidently as she still hung onto Luke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mara Jade", Luke stated with a smile, "Looks like the force finally wanted us to meet". Mara let out a short laugh, "More like, I planted a tracking device on your saber and ship when you weren't looking, type of thing. But yeah, the force could get all the credit", Mara joked. "So that's why it felt heavy", Luke joked back. Mara could help but giggle at Luke's attempt of a joke. She felt a sense of feelings she hasn't felt since she was a teenager. It gave her a sense of relief, happiness, and blushing? Before she could think over her thoughts, a loud slow clap echoed behind them.

* * *

"Beautiful. Almost touched a nerve", Marka Ragnos stated coldly as he crept out of the shadow. Luke and Mara quickly separated from each other. Mara tossed Luke his lightsaber as she ignited hers. Luke grabbed it and ignited it as he brought it into a defensive position. "Marka Ragnos, we've been expecting you", Luke stated as he and Mara started to circle around the circle. "We can end this conflict Skywalker. Just you and I. No need for the assassin", Ragnos began as he watched Luke and Mara circle him. "I don't think so", Luke barked at him. Ragnos flicked Mara away with the force. Mara was sent flying back, crashing into a wall. "Mara!", Luke cried out. He faced himself against Ragnos. Calling Mara's lightsaber towards his other hand. Ragnos chuckled at Luke's sudden action.

"Its simple Skywalker. Hand yourself over to me, and nobody else gets hurt", Ragnos offered as he extended his hand. "You think I'll bow down to men like you? As long as I breathe, you won't get my worship. And you'll never hurt anyone from now on", Luke warned. "Careful in your choices of words", Ragnos corrected. Before Luke could ask what he meant, Ragnos pulled something out of the shadow. Luke's eyes widen in horror as he saw Ahsoka being dragged into view. Tears strolled down her eyes as she was forced on her knees. "Ahsoka", Luke said trying to keep his cool. "Let me show you what happens if you don't cooperate Jedi", Ragnos said as he stroked Ahsoka's lekku. "Leave her alone!", Luke shouted at the Sith Lord. Ragnos ignored Luke's plea as he continued to stroke Ahsoka's lekku, slowly moving up to her montrals. "You may wonder why she isn't trying to defend herself", Ragnos began explaining, "Twi'leks and Togrutas have the most beautiful women in the entire galaxy. That being said, they all have the same weakness. Their Lekku is very sensitive, a bit of pressure-", Ragnos softly squeezed Ahsoka's lekku. She shuttered as her eyes started to roll back at the unwilling pleasure she was receiving. "And you can easily pleasure them", Ragnos continued, "But too much pressure and you make them go paralyzed, temporarily of course".

That being said, Ragnos crushed Ahsoka's lekku with his fist. Ahsoka let out a shriek of pain as she continued to cry out for help. "You better not have done anything else with her", Luke warned as he activated Mara's saber. "Nonsense Skywalker. I leave that honor to you", Ragnos said as he gave him a crooked smile, "What's a better way than to have the boy she tried protecting, hurt her more than anything else in the galaxy. Of course, I would have taken over your body by then, but she'll be force to watch your face be the one on top of her". Luke could only look at disgust at Ragnos's plan for Ahsoka. Ragnos suddenly grabbed Ahsoka's head and lifted her up in the air. Her feet dangled in the air as her body tried to protest. "However, a Jedi like yourself would rather give their companion's life in order to spare her from a painful fate", using his advantage of his large hand to cover her face, he started to suffocating her as he squeezed her face. Ahsoka's muffled yelling and screaming could be heard. She desperately tried kicking and clawing the large hand away from her. "No! Please, stop!", Luke watched helplessly as Ahsoka struggled to free herself. But that all ended when Ahsoka suddenly stopped. Her arms and legs dropped, falling limp. "Ahsoka", Luke cried out as tears started to develop. Ragnos tossed her towards Luke. She fell hard on the floor, Luke turned off his weapons to hold the body of Ahsoka. "Ahsoka" Luke whispered. She had stopped breathing, her chest no longer rose up and down. Her force arora was weak. She was gone. Luke's tears fell on Ahsoka's now cold skin as he mourned the loss of his friend.

"You could have prevented all of this, if you only joined me", Ragnos spoke, "Give yourself to the dark side. Let my spirit pass onto you". Luke got up, still looking at the body of Ahsoka Tano. He didn't say anything, but he turned around and ignited his lightsabers. With a sudden motion, he attacked Ragnos at full speed. Ragnos let out a crackled laugh as he brought Ahsoka's lightsaber to intercept Luke's blow. "Such fury, such hatred. A true sith indeed", Ragnos remarked as they continued to duel. Luke pressed further as the he slashed his lighter across Ragnos's cheek. Ragnos grunted before coming down on Luke. But Luke simply dodged the swing as he jumped over the sith lord and swung to his back. Ragnos quickly intercepted Luke's sudden attack as he punched Luke in the face. He staggered back, but came back onto his feet. The two swung at each other, blocking each attack as they started getting into a tight corner. Ragnos started to get the upper hand as he used his weight to bring down the Jedi to his knees. Luke struggled to maintain position as he tried to hold up against the heavy weight. His left knee was the first to collapse under the immense pressure. His green lightsaber flew out of his hand as he started to lose grip. Luke screamed in determination as he swung Mara's lightsaber at Ragnos's leg.

The sith lord fell back as he screamed in agony as his right leg was cut off. The room was filled with the sudden smell of burning flesh. Using his new advantage, Luke started smashing his lightsabers in full rage. Ragnos lost grip in Ahsoka's lightsaber as Luke kept delivery blow after blow. The lightsaber eventually fell to the floor. Luke staggered back as he saw his enemy defeated before him. Luke raised Mara's lightsaber, the red hue reflecting off his skin. Ragnos smiled as he planted his remaining foot on Luke's leg. "What are you waiting for Skywalker? Strike me down, avenge your friend", Ragnos shouted as he accepted his fate. Luke tighten his grip on the saber as he glared at Ragnos. He had killed Ahsoka, the only one who was the last of his father's memory. And now she was gone. All because of him. _"Luke! Don't give into hate!",_ the voices of both Obi-wan and Anakin yelled at him. But Luke ignored his Father's and Master's plea. He raised the lightsaber and brought it down upon the fallen Sith. But a sleek green blade stopped him in his tracks. The loud hissing noise of lightsabers clashing with each other echoed around the room. Luke looked at who was wielding his lightsaber. Mara Jade stood tall as she struggled to maintain her position. "Mara, what are you doing!?", Luke asked in a rage.

"Look at yourself Flyboy!", Mara yelled at him, "This is what he wants!". Luke widen his eyes as he realized his mistake. His surroundings quickly changed, Ragnos was replaced with a damaged Vader. _"Good. Your hate has made you powerful",_ the voice of Palpatine whispered in his ear. _"Now... fulfill your destiny. Take your father's place at my side"._ Luke's surroundings changed back to the present. Ragnos laid on the floor, his face filled with anger and disgust. Mara stood at the side, with Luke's lightsaber in hand. Luke looked down at himself. The red lightsaber trembling in his dominant hand. He almost killed Ragnos is rage, that would've been a easy door for Ragnos to break down once he became one with the force and fought to take control of Luke's body. Luke deactivated the lightsaber, handing it to Mara as he turned around in shame. "No, you will not take what will be mine Assassin!", Ragnos shouted at Mara.

He unleashed a raging storm of force lightning at Luke and Mara. The two fell to the floor screaming in agony. Ragnos slowly crawled towards Luke as he kept spreading lightning at them both. He got on top of Luke as he grabbed his head. Luke scream in pain as Ragnos tried forcing his spirit into him again. Luke felt the sharp pain enter his skull. He tried to resist as he did earlier. But this time, Luke's was weaker, he was unfocused. "Yes", Ragnos shouted in victory, "Soon I'll have a new body. One far younger, and more power-". Ragnos suddenly stopped. Luke crawled from underneath him as Ragnos lost his grip. Luke's green blade pierced Ragnos in the center of his chest. The lightsaber exited his chest as it sliced Ragnos in half. Ragnos's corpse fell to the floor as Mara Jade stood from behind. She held Luke's saber in her hand, the green light emanating it's surroundings. Luke gasped for air as he pushed Ragnos away from them. Mara offered her hand to a sweaty Jedi Knight. He accepted her offer of assistants. "Why did you do that?", Luke asked her once on his his feet. "You needed help", she simply responded as she gave his lightsaber back to him, "Stick with green, will you Flyboy? Red doesn't really suit you".

Ragnos took in his last breathe as Luke and Mara were catching their breathes of victory. "I will not be defeated so easily", Ragnos huffed softly to himself. He stretched his remaining hand towards the fallen Togruta. Careful of not getting Luke or Mara's attention. With his remaining strength, Ragnos sent his spirit into Ahsoka. A sudden flash of light illuminated the room. "What was that?", Mara asked as the light died off. "I don't know", Luke stated. He peered over to where the body of Ragnos laid. But was shocked to see that Ragnos's body was now replaced with nothing but his robes. "Impossible", Luke said surprised, "Sith aren't able to become one with the force". He grabbed the discarded robes off from the floor. "Whatever happened to him, he's long gone Flyboy", Mara said as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

At the corner of the room, Ahsoka's body started to twitch as Marka Ragnos's spirit entered her body. It took over her mind with ease. "I am not done with you yet Skywalker", Ragnos said as his voice echoed through out Ahsoka's body. Her chest started rising and falling again, and her limbs started to regain their strength. Ahsoka's eyes suddenly shot up. Revealing the sinister crimson yellow eyes, waking her back from the dead.

* * *

"There's no way anyone could've survived General Solo", Commander Lee tried explaining as they observed the giant hole in the room where they found Bridger and Wren, "It's a 15 meter drop. There's isn't a possibility-"

"Never tell me the odds Commander. Luke blew up the Death Star, took down a Rancor without his lightsaber, and defeated Vader and the Emperor. Luke will be able to survive a 15 meter drop", Han said confidently. Chewbacca let out a howl in agreement. "Leia, can you find him?", Han asked his wife. Leia had her eyes closed as she had her hand extended towards the hole. She couldn't exactly pin point where Luke was. But she could feel him. She heard the clashing of sabers through the force, someone yelled in pain. _"Luke! Don't give in to hate!",_ a few voices yelled out through the force. Leia opened her eyes in horror. "Commander Lee, gather all your men and grab some rope. We're going down!", Leia ordered. Commander Lee nodded as he signaled his men to gather some rope. "What is it Leia?", Han asked. Leia could only look at Han and Chewbacca with a worried look in her eyes, "Luke's in trouble".

* * *

Luke picked up the body of Ahsoka. Tears fell down his face as he started to wrap her up with the discarded robes across the floor. "I'm so sorry Ahsoka", Luke apologized. Mara stood in the background, not knowing what to do. It was her fault after all. She was the one to bring back the sith lord, the one to bring Ragnos and the Knights of Ren to him. An apology wouldn't make up for his loss. "I'm sorry Luke, from the bottom of my heart. I really am. None of this would've have happened if I hadn't-", Mara began before being cutoff by Luke. "It's alright Mara. We all make mistakes that may cost people their lives. I learned that the hard way, though I didn't expect it to happen a second time", Luke sadly stated. A sudden movement caught Mara's eye. It was brief, could've missed it in a blink of an eye. But it was there. The Togruta's hand shifted position. It held one of her lightsabers. "Uh, hey Flyboy. I think her hand-", Mara tried calling out. "Not now Mara", Luke pleaded still holding the Togruta in his arms. Mara watched in horror as the hilt of the Togruta's lightsaber moved towards Luke's torso. Her finger hovered above the ignition switch as her once resting face, formed a crooked smile. "Luke!", Mara yelled as she force pulled Luke into her arms. Luke was stunned by the sudden motion that he dropped Ahsoka back onto the floor. He landed on top of Mara. Before he could question the assassin for doing what she did, a white blade sprung to life.

Luke looked up to see Ahsoka standing on her feet. She casted aside her robes, and stood still with her eyes closed. She had one of her lightsabers ignited. The other wasn't. "Ahsoka!", Luke said cheerfully, "You're alive. I though Marka Ragnos killed you. We ended him Ahsoka. It's all over". He got up to hug his friend when he suddenly was lifted into the air. Luke clawed at his throat in horror and confusion. "Marka Ragnos still lives", Ahsoka stated coldly as she forced choked Luke, "Just from a certain point of view", Ahsoka then opened her eyes to reveal the cold crimson yellow glare of Marka Ragnos. "No!", Luke shouted in horror. Ragnos took over Ahsoka's body in the last second, to continue the fight. _"She awaits until you finally lowered your defenses to her",_ the man's warning echoed in Luke's head.

"Let him go!", Mara warned Ahsoka. She ignited her blade and charged at the Togruta. Without moving, Ahsoka flicked her wrist. Mara was sent flying to a wall, knocking her unconscious. "Now that the assassin is taken care of", Ahsoka began, "I believe we need to finish some unfinished business". Ahsoka pulled Luke closer to her. He now floated inches from her now. "You know Skywalker, I quite like this", Ahsoka said as she looked up and down at herself, "It may not hold all my power, but it serves its purpose". Luke lowered his hands, despite being choked. "You won't win Ragnos", he spat out. "Ragnos?", Ahsoka teasingly asked, "Why Luke, it's me. Ahsoka Tano, in the flesh". Ahsoka grabbed Luke by the chin as she brought him to her level. "And you will help me get what I want. Even if it means breaking you", Ahsoka coldly commented as she stroked Luke's face.

Luke used his advantage of being close to Ahsoka's face to squeeze her Lekku. Ahsoka released Luke from her grasp as she fell to the floor clutching in pain. She suddenly sent a powerful wave towards Luke, sending him flying across the room. Ahsoka quickly got back up laughing like a mad man. "Using my own knowledge against me, I see", she yelled at the Jedi Knight. She activated her second saber, moving into a attack position. "She doesn't belong to you Ragnos!", Luke yelled back a response as he activated his weapon. "Then come and take her from me", Ahsoka barked back as she charged at Luke. Ahsoka jumped the air as she went to kick Luke in the face. Luke dodged the incoming blow by moving back. But Ahsoka was quick on her feet, as soon as she landed she started delivering various blows. Luke was forced back as Ahsoka kept slashing her lightsabers all over the place. The two duel in a very fast pace. Only flashes of green and white filled the room. They were moving fast as lightning as they moved from one space to the next. Ahsoka jumped off of Luke's chest as she forced him to take a defensive approach. It was clear who had the duel in the bag. Ahsoka was ruthless as she rained down attack after attack. Luke was holding back, even if Marka Ragnos had control over Ahsoka's mind and body, he would not in any way lay his blade on her. Luke could still feel the original Ahsoka holding on, but she was also losing to Ragnos. Luke force pushed Ahsoka away. But Ahsoka was ready. She stabbed her sabers to the floor as it stopped the full effect of the push. She rushed at Luke again, trapping his saber in an "X' formation. "Ahsoka, I know you're in there. You can over power him!", Luke screamed out as he struggled to hold his position. Ahsoka's glare soften a bit, her eyes changing from blue to yellow, back to blue. Before staying yellow. Ahsoka kicked Luke in the gut as she jumped up and kicked his head. "Affections don't work on me Jedi!", she barked at him. Luke went flying as he dropped to the floor. Blood started oozing out if his lip as he staggered back on his feet. "Your pathetic Ahsoka Tano is gone", Ahsoka shouted in a mixture of her and Ragnos's voice. She marched towards Luke, using the force to pin him to the floor. Luke grunted as he struggled to free himself. "Ahsoka. I know your in there", he cried out as Ahsoka's boot stomped on his leg. "Always having hope", Ahsoka declared in disgust, "Let me fix that for you". She suddenly raised her blades up before coming down on Luke.

* * *

Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open as she tried to understand what had just happened. In one moment, she was on her knees being held captive by Marka Ragnos as he tried persuading Luke again, and in the next all she remembered was darkness. Ahsoka looked at her surroundings. It was dark, like the cold heart of space when there was no stars or planets were nearby. "Where am I?", she asked no-one in general. She noticed her skin had a light blue aurora surrounding her. "Hello There", a familiar voice suddenly said, scaring Ahsoka. She turned around to see Master Kenobi standing next to her. "Master Kenobi! Where am I? What's going on?", she asked in desperation. "You're in a place where you shouldn't be", Kenobi replied, "This is where the most powerful Jedi remain after their passing, before we ultimately become one with the living force", he explained. "So you're saying I'm not powerful?", Ahsoka asked, offended by Kenobi's comment. "No. You're not dead", he corrected. Ahsoka looked at the old master is shock. Not dead? Then why was she in this realm to begin with?

Master Yoda appeared next to Obi-wan. The small green alien having the same glowing effects as the younger Master. "In grave danger, the future lays upon", Yoda said with worry in his voice. "How can you tell?", Ahsoka asked the old Grandmaster. A gap opened up at the far end where they stood. Ahsoka walked towards it, awkwardly trying to set foot on the ground that didn't exist. She peered through the small opening. It was extremely foggy. But she could make out what she was seeing. She watched in horror as Luke and her were fighting each other. She saw her corporeal body slash her sabers at Luke's head. Before Luke dodged and stopped her attack. She noticed a large black shadow hovering around her corporeal body. "What's happening?", Ahsoka cried out. "Marka Ragnos had taken over your body. Somehow, the force preserved you from being destroyed. Its extremely rare to see the host of the original body survive such encounter", Obi-wan stated as he and Yoda joined her.

"Darth Bane, used this power long ago, he did. But failed to remain in power, he had", Yoda commented. Ahsoka could hear the echo of Luke's cry as he tried calling out to her. "You must defeat Ragnos. It is the only way to destroy him for good", Obi-wan placed a hand on Ahsoka, "You must go back". Ahsoka stuttered, trying to find the right words. "But how can I get back? Marka Ragnos wants Luke. He's to powerful for me to beat", she admitted in shame. "Trust in the force", Obi-wan responded. "Yes, yes. To Obi-wan, you should listen. The force is your ally", Yoda added. Ahsoka turned back to face the scene of the fight. Her corporeal body had pinned Luke to the floor. He was starting to bleed as he kept trying to defend himself from every attack. "Can't you help me?", Ahsoka pleaded at the two masters.

Obi-wan and Yoda both stared at Ahsoka in sorrow. "We wished we could Ahsoka. But the dark side is strong there, we would be useless. You need someone strong on both sides, you need-", Obi-wan stated before being cutoff by another familiar voice, "You need me", it stated. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at the man who she never wanted to see again. Anakin Skywalker, her former Master, and former Sith Lord Darth Vader. "Oh no. Forget about it Vader, I will never work with you", Ahsoka spat at him. "Ahsoka", Anakin called out to her, "I know I hurt you more than ever. And that you'll probably never forgive me for my actions. But you need me, Luke needs to be saved", he tried reasoning. But Ahsoka didn't budge, she then noticed her arms were starting to fade. "What's happening to me?", she asked in horror. "You're running out of time Ahsoka. If you don't act now, you'll be lost to the force. Luke needs our help, he can't fight Marka Ragnos alone", Obi-wan said in a commotion. "Please Ahsoka. Together we can save him. Luke needs us", Anakin pleaded. Ahsoka peered at the small opening again. Luke had laid his blade in defeat. _"Ahsoka I know you're in there. Please, snap out of it",_ Luke pleaded from the other side. Her corporeal body let out a growl, she didn't care and kept attacking Luke. "Alright", Ahsoka said, finally caving in, "Lets take back what's rightfully mine".

* * *

Luke dodged another attack from Ahsoka as she continued to rage on. He had surrendered, in hopes of awaking the true Ahsoka from the inside. But if had failed. Ragnos still had complete control over her corporeal body. The lightsabers hissed and shrieked as it bounced off each other and into the wall. "There is no escape", Ahsoka declared victoriously. "I will never let you win Ragnos. I rather be struck down than be your slave", Luke commented as he force pushed Ahsoka away from him. Luke suddenly heard yelling. It was distant, but he recognized the voices. "Leia", Luke realized in horror. Ahsoka got back up and heard Leia's voice. "It appears we have company", she said giving Luke a crooked smile, "A sister. She could be my new apprentice. But wait", Ahsoka closed her eyes, "I sense... a child. One with raw, untamed power. And something truly special". Ahsoka looked back at Luke, her eyes sparkled in the bright crimson yellow. "Perhaps I pursued the wrong Skywalker all along. A child, strong in the force, would have made for an easier target. If you don't turn to the dark side, then perhaps he will", she glared at Luke as he called his weapon towards him. "I won't let you get near Ben", Luke declared coldly. He activated his lightsaber, ready for another round. He won't let Ragnos win, even if having to kill Ahsoka's corporeal body in the process. No one would hurt his family. Ahsoka let out a sinister laugh as she charged at Luke again, this time, with the intention of killing him. She lunged in the air before striking at Luke. Her lightsabers blocked a blow as she jumped over Luke to strike in his exposed area. But Luke brought his lightsaber up in time, creating a hissing sound as the three blades collided.

* * *

"Are you ready Ahsoka?", Anakin asked as they saw the ongoing battle. "I'm ready", she replied. Anakin outstretched his hand towards Ahsoka's corporeal body. He closed his eyes and grabbed Ahsoka's remaining shoulder. He sent himself and Ahsoka towards her body. The two began to vanish back into the physical realm. "Good luck you two. May the force be with you", Kenobi and Yoda said as they watched Anakin and Ahsoka disappear. "Do you think we have a shot?", Obi-wan asked the old grandmaster. "Trust in the force, we shall. Over come this obstacle, they will. Rely on each other, they must. To fix old wounds, the master and apprentice must do", Yoda spoke as he and Obi-wan dissolved back into the force.

* * *

Ahsoka and Anakin marched into her body. She couldn't look at her corporeal self as it kept attacking Luke. She looked up and down, but never to the sides. On one side, displayed what Ahsoka's body saw. On the other, was Anakin. They passed her a part of her brain, memories started to be displayed. _"You'll never make it as Obi-wan's padawan, but you might make it as mine"._ The echoes of the past spoke. Ahsoka couldn't bare to watch Anakin's reaction. What they had long ago no longer existed. _"_ _Your stuck with me, Skyguy"_ , her younger self teased. Ahsoka tried hard not to smile, she remembered the first time where the two made nicknames for each other. But why was her memories showing her this? They should be more than just the events of her and Anakin. Why couldn't her body, just for once, not show the painful memories. _"I would never let anyone hurt you Ahsoka, never",_ the voice of a young Anakin pleaded. She remembered those words, he had found her in the sewers of Coruscant when she ran away from being set up. Tears started to dwell, those words never spoke true. _It was all a lie_ , she tried telling herself. _"I won't leave you! Not this time"_ , her older voice said. " _Then you will die!"_ , Vader replied coldly.

Ahsoka felt a warm sensation running down her face. She couldn't physically cry just yet, but the pain behind the tears was visible. "I'm so sorry Ahsoka. For everything", Anakin suddenly said. They continued walking, though both were quiet. "I'm sorry too", Ahsoka spoke up, ending the awkward tension between the two. "I loved you. You were my brother, I couldn't bare to accept that you fell", she admitted. Anakin kept quiet, regretting every decision he has made as Vader. "But if it wasn't for you", Ahsoka immediately added, "I wouldn't be here", she admitted. She turned around to face Anakin. And this time, it was purely Anakin. No Vader, no suit, just the face of the man she once viewed as a brother. He was older, mind you. But the face of the young Jedi Knight was there, visible between his wrinkles and graying hair. "I wouldn't have survived this long without you're training. You opened me up to new aspects of the Force others wouldn't. And-", She paused trying not to smile, "I'd never been happier than to meet your children". She hugged Anakin tightly, the two embraced each other as Anakin stroked her back. "I know what I said earlier pains you Anakin. And I am sorry. But I'm just glad you're with me, every step of the way".

_"It is done. The old wound has been healed",_ Obi-wan's words echoed through the force.

A sound of thunder brought Anakin and Ahsoka back to reality. The two looked in front of them. A large black entity hovered in front of them. The entity started to take form as Marka Ragnos. "Impossible", he said in disbelief. Ahsoka huffed her chest as she stood tall. "It's over Marka Ragnos. I'm taking back what's mine!", she shouted at the sith lord.

* * *

Luke swung another blow as Ahsoka twirled around. Mara had rejoined the fight once she regain consciousness. Ahsoka sent a large wave towards the Jedi and Assassin. They tried combating it by stabbing their lightsabers in the ground. Large pieces of rocks were sent hurtling towards them. Luke and Mara ducked for cover as the rocks kept on coming. Ahsoka hopped over Mara as she kicked her away. She fell on top of Luke as he tried to readjust his fighting stance. Ahsoka loomed over the young Jedi. "There is no one here to save you", she stated before raising her blade. Luke closed his eyes, accepting defeat. He failed to bring her back. In one final stroke, Luke placed his saber on Ahsoka's chest. "You win. Kill me. But if you strike me down I'll-". Luke was cutoff as Ahsoka let out a blood curdling shriek as she collapsed in the floor. "Ahsoka!", Luke cried out as he ran towards her. Mara warned Luke not to go near her as she could still be a threat. Ahsoka was shaking violently as she tried to claw her montrals. "What's happening to her?", Mara asked once she caught up with Luke. "I don't know", was all Luke could sputter out as he watched helplessly.

* * *

"I will not be defeated!", Marka Ragnos yelled out in frustration. With all his might, he sent a huge amount of force energy at Ahsoka and Anakin. Ahsoka quickly put her hands in front of her as she started to deflect the sith energy. The reddish-black energy started to surround Anakin and Ahsoka. "I can't hold it!", Ahsoka yelled out weakly as she tried sending her own force energy, but was quickly overcome. Anakin suddenly sent his own energy into Ahsoka. The blue-white power of the force was then casted out of her and passed through Ragnos's defense. It spurred out a form of lightning as it made the dark energy retreat back into it's owner. "No, no. This cannot be!", Ragnos yelled in shock, "I am the Sith, nothing can beat me! You are not a Jedi!", he screamed as his entity form was slowly starting to cripple. "That's where you're wrong Ragnos", Ahsoka called out, "I am a Jedi! Your reign of terror ends now!", Ahsoka declared. She suddenly let out a huge wave of force energy at the black entity. The electrical sparks started to dissolve the sith lord in front of her. Ragnos let out a final cry as the energy started to consume him. The black entity tried to claw its way to freedom before the force overtook him. Only the echo of Ragnos's cry was the last thing to stay before it too, vanished into nothingness. Ahsoka and Anakin watched in victory as the Sith was no more. "We did it snips", Anakin said happily. Ahsoka smiled as she heard Anakin call her old nickname. "Just like old times Skyguy", she spoke softly. A sudden blinding flash ended their conversation as her spirit returned to her corporeal body.

* * *

"Ahsoka, wake up", Luke pleaded as he held the Togruta in his hands. "She's gone Skywalker", Mara noted. "No, she is alive. I can feel it", he said as he gently shook her. Mara was about to speak about how hopeless it is to still believe the Togruta was still alive, but she was cutoff when the sudden coughing nose filled the room. "Ahsoka?", Luke asked as he stretched for his lightsaber incase she attacked him again. Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open, to reveal the bright blue eyes that hid under the orange skin. "Luke?", Ahsoka coughed out. "Ahsoka, is it really you?", Luke asked cautiously. Ahsoka wrapped her arms around Luke's neck. "Its me Luke. Actual me", she said as she embraced him in a hug. "Marka Ragnos is dead". She looked over Luke's shoulder to see the assassin standing behind them. Mara awkwardly gave her a wave as she dropped her lightsaber. "Luke", Ahsoka growled, "What's she doing here?". She jumped in front of Luke, activating her lightsabers in the process. Mara quickly raised her hands in surrender, "I mean you no harm. I swear", she said as she looked over at Luke. "Don't lie to me. You wanted this to happen. You want Luke dead. Well I'm not going to let you", Ahsoka said darkly. "Well originally yes, I wanted all of this to happen. I wanted Flyboy dead. But then I changed my mind, Luke is very persuasive when it comes to personal issues", Mara explained. But Ahsoka wasn't having it, "'Flyboy?' Listen here you little-".

"Whoa, Ahsoka. Calm down", Luke said getting up to lower her blades. "But Luke-", Ahsoka protested. "She's on our side now", Luke reassured her. Ahsoke lowered her sabers, yet still sent a glare at Mara. "Don't think that this will make me forgive you so easily. You're charms don't work on me". Mara rolled her eyes as she planted her hands on her hips, "Trust me. Flyboy here is the one with the charms. Not me", she spat back. "His name is Luke", Ahsoka corrected, "You don't get to call him anything but that".

"Well, can I call him Skyguy?"

Ahsoka frowned as she pulled Luke to her side. "That name is already taken. He's mine, not yours to play with". Mara huffed. "Wow, are you overprotective. What are you, his mother?", she asked sarcastically. Ahsoka wanted to smack Mara in the face, but Luke told her to calm down through the force. He had enough excitement for one day. Several footsteps and hollers echoed around the large room. Small beams of light smacked Luke in the face. He had to shield away his eyes from not being blinded so suddenly. "Luke!", two familiar voices shouted in relief. "Han? Leia? What are you doing here?", Luke asked. He expected Lando or Wedge to come and find him, Han and Chewbacca were on Kashyyyk dealing with pirates and smugglers in that area. And Leia had went to help them out. He sent his message to the New Republic Council, not to Leia. "You called us in kid", Han stated a little offended that Luke didn't seemed joyful. "I called for the Republic to send a pick up. I thought they'd send Lando or Wedge", Luke said in confusion. "Artoo called us Luke. He sent a distress signal to Threepio", Leia clarified. Luke took this in with a surprise, he didn't remember telling Artoo to send another message. But it didn't matter now, they were in safe hands.

"Who's she?", Han suddenly asked the young Jedi pointing at Mara. Luke held his breath for a second, if they found out she was the assassin that followed and almost killed him, who knows what they do to her. Considering since Chewbacca stood only a few feet away. "Uh shes, uh", Luke tried explaining. "I'm his lover", Mara blurted out. She immediately blushed after realizing the words that came out of her mouth. "Lover!?", Han and Leia shouted in confusion. "Luke when did you get a lover. And for how long? Why didn't you tell me?", Leia asked as she started to raise her voice. "Who knew the kid who somehow got drunk on Blue Milk, had good taste", Han looked at Mara up and down impressed that his friend had an eye for quality. Leia slapped Han in the shoulder to get him on her side. "Firstly, I didn't get drunk on Blue Milk, Lando decided to sneak something in my drink. And secondly, I was going to introduce you to her a week before Ben arrived", Luke lied. Before Leia and Han could continue questioning Luke and Mara, Ahsoka interrupted them. "Can we leave already. Or are we just going to stand here and question Luke's sex life?", Ahsoka asked already impatient and wanting to get out of the old Rakata Temple. "The Togruta's right Leia, let's get out of here", Han pleaded his wife. "Fine", Leia said in defeat as she sent a small glare at Mara.

* * *

Luke and Mara walked out of the medical center as many ships have started to lift off. Thrawn and the rest of the imperial remnants were arrested and already on there way to Coruscant to face charges. Ahsoka stayed in the medical center to watch over Sabine and Ezra, and to try to cool off from desperately trying to not attack Mara in front of the other. "I'm glad we were brought together, Mara", Luke said once they were alone. "So, what happens now? We both walk off in separate directions and pretend like this never happened?", Mara asked the young Jedi Knight. "I don't think you can. There's still conflict in you", Luke simply replied. "Of course there is still conflict in me, I admit it. But I don't think I'm ready to be a part of your little jedi academy thingy, even with my daughter there. What else is there for me to do?", Mara admitted as she stared at an X-Wing.

Luke thought for a moment. "That is the force to decide. It'll forge that path for you. Follow it. You'll be surprised where it'll lead you". Mara took off a necklace that she pulled out of her shirt. "Can you... can you give this to her?", Mara asked handing the necklace to Luke. Luke observed the necklace in his gloved hand. It was simple in structure, a thin black string but it held a kyber crystal. "I will", Luke said. He looked up and saw that she was gone. "Thanks Flyboy. 'Till we meet again?", Mara yelled as she was now boarding the X-Wing she was about to steal. Luke saluted her off, as he watched the X-Wing roar to life. Leia came walking out of the Millennium Falcon as she joined her brother to watch the X-Wing fly off. "So I take she isn't your 'lover'?", she asked sarcastically. "No. She isn't", Luke simply replied. "Mind telling me who she is then?", Leia asked. "She's a remarkable woman, that's what she is", Luke said as the X-Wing flew over them and into the night. "You know she just stoled your X-Wing right? We salvaged it from Manaan, fixed it and brought it here", Leia informed him. "I know. But she'll bring it back. I just know it", Luke said confidently. The X-Wing's engine's glow were now shrinking fast, before it was lost to the billions of stars in the night sky. Luke gave a soft smile as he held the necklace in his hand. "May the force be with you, Mara Jade".


	29. The Future is Unwritten

Chapter 28

**3 Weeks Later...**

**Coruscant - Luke and Ahsoka's residency**

The Sun started to set on the busy skies of Coruscant. Ahsoka sat on the balcony watching all sorts of ships fly by. She and Luke had been on Coruscant for the past weeks to witness Thrawn's trial. He was lucky to only be imprisoned for life instead of execution. Luke and Ahsoka, despite what others think, had to argue in defense of Thrawn. With him being the only one with knowledge of the unknown regions, and the threats that lay beyond the reaches of the galaxy, the Senate had no choice but to spare him and Captain Pallaeon. The rest of the surviving stormtroopers, having already defected to the New Republic's cause, were sent to planets still recovering from the Galactic Civil War to help the needy. Ahsoka's bedroom doors opened to reveal the young Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker in dark gray tunics. "How was your talk with the Ghost crew?", she asked Luke, not taking her eyes off the sunset. "Not quite as I expected it", Luke stated as he came to view. He sat next to Ahsoka as Artoo strolled next to him. "Hera apologized for arresting us, so that's good news. Sabine is doing well after recovering from what happened on Rakata Prime, and Ezra finally got out of the coma he was put in", Luke stated before going into a moody defeat, "But he declined my invitation. He rather chooses to stay on Lothal. Start a family and what not. But I told him that the doors are always open in case he changes his mind", he said as played with his holo-transmitter. "Ready to get off this rock Ahsoka?", the young Jedi asked the Togruta as he got back up. Ahsoka nodded as she followed Luke towards the landing platforms. "Where are we going anyway? You didn't exactly specify", Ahsoka asked once they were at the platforms. "You'll see", Luke stated as he pulled Ahsoka towards a large hangar bay. Luke opened the hangar bay doors to reveal a large _Paladin class_ corvette. The modified corvette reminded Ahsoka of the one she once boarded during the Clone Wars when she helped Master Yoda teach a couple of younglings how to get their first kyber crystals. Instead of having the traditional dull gray and brown color, it was painted as Ahsoka's T-6 shuttle. It was sleek red, with streaks of white giving it an incredible design. It had a large insignia planted on the side, it was a hybrid of the New Republic's crest and the old Jedi Order crest. It had several turrets, even more than the original model.

"Luke", Ahsoka stated in awe, "When did you get this?". Luke chuckled at Ahsoka's amazement when she saw the corvette. "A courtesy from Mon Mothma", Luke stated as he gestured Ahsoka inside. "I call her, the _Jedi Praxeum_. A beauty, isn't she? A mobile command center that also works as a training ground", Luke explained as they entered the ships. Ahsoka observed each detail as she entered the ship. "I felt bad when your Jedi Finder was destroyed. So Han and I decided to modify this old craft to replace it", Luke began again, "She now has one of the fastest hyperdrives in the entire known galaxy. And stronger shields. In case we ever run into Zyon and the Knights of Ren, they won't be able to take this girl down so easily", Luke said proudly as he slapped the hull interior, "And she's all yours", he added with a smile. Ahsoka stopped in her tracks as soon as those words came out of Luke's mouth. This ship, this _Jedi Praxeum,_ was her's now. "Wait wait wait, it's mine now? You're giving it to me?", she immediately questioned incase she heard the young Jedi wrong. Luke nodded in confirmation. "Luke, I don't know what to say", Ahsoka stuttered. She was astound, before she could thank Luke the doors behind her sealed shut, and the _Jedi Praxeum_ immediately roared to life.

"Strap in you two", and deep rough voice commanded, "We have a long journey ahead of us". Ahsoka ran to the cockpit, unable to believe the voice she had just heard. "Rex!", she shouted in joy, stopping at the entrance of the cockpit. The old clone captain turned around from the pilot seat. "Glad to have you back commander", he said as he piloted the _Jedi Praxeum_ out of Coruscant's atmosphere. Artoo strolled past Ahsoka as Luke joined them. They strapped themselves to their seats, viewing the black void of space. "So little Skyguy", Ahsoka teased as she ruffled Luke's hair, despite his protest, "You keep avoiding my question. Where are we exactly going?". Luke looked at her and then at the hybrid insignia behind her. "Home", he simply stated as Rex entered the _Jedi Praxeum_ into hyperspace.

* * *

**Mid-rim: Kalarba**

Mara Jade walked into the newly built cantina stationed in the central city of Kalarba. The peaceful planet had offered Mara many moments of peace. She no longer wore the imperial insignia or an imperial jumpsuit. She wore a simple white tunic with a black leather jacket, combined with grey cargo pants and a light brown scarf that also served as a hood. She had a new look as well. One side of her head was shaved while the other remained the long red hair she once had. She had a small scar running between her shaved side, she had recently been able to remove the inhibitor chip that was torturing her endlessly. Thus for the scar and shaved head. Mara walked past several aliens and bounty hunters as she made her way to the back of the Cantina. She saw a small group of scoundrels that she could easily fit in with. When she tried sitting with them, it immediately started an outrage. "Ah ah ah", the man with a goatee commented as he saw Mara sit at their table. "Sorry sweetheart, invites only", he said as he tried shooing her away from the table. "I'm looking for a job", Mara suddenly blurted out, "I was hoping to work for you guys". A large Trandoshan rose from the chair next to her. "We ain't hiring nobody kid", the Trandoshan hissed in a harsh tone. "Jarvis. What did I tell you", the man with the goatee said with an offended look, "I do the talking. You just stand there and look intimidating". The Trandoshan hissed again before sitting back down. The man leaned in, taking a bite of his ration bar. "What makes you think we're hiring?", he asked as a pale yellow Twi'lek joined them with drinks. "Well I really need the money, I've been stuck on this rock for the past three weeks. I'm hoping to seek out on an adventure", Mara said truthfully as she avoided the gaze of the three scoundrels.

"Why don't you go and work as a dancer", the pale yellow Twi'lek asked putting her feet on the table, "You clearly have the body to be one. Not really sure about that hair though", she reached across the table to grab Mara's hair. Mara flinched away to avoid the Twi'lek cold grasp. "I'm not a dancer. But I used to be an assassin", Mara commented starting to regret coming to the cantina in the first place. "Ooh. An assassin", the man mocked as he got a laughter from his crew, "Right, and I'm clearly the infamous Luke Skywalker that blew up the death star. Jarvis, go and get this kid out of my sight", the man signaled the Trandoshan to kick Mara out of the Cantina. Jarvis smiled as he went to grab Mara from behind. Mara punched the Trandoshan in the neck. Jarvis staggered a bit before Mara grabbed his head and slammed him on the table. Blood splattered everywhere as a metal rod stabbed Jarvis's eye. The Trandoshan screamed out in pain as he ran towards the nearest medical room. The Cantina was quiet, everyone was staring at Mara. The man looked at her, impressed by her act. "Like I said. I was an assassin, so are you going to give me a job or what?", Mara asked as she wiped the blood off of her.

The Man and the Twi'lek chuckled as people around them returned to their drinks. "Listen Kid, we're smugglers. Not Bounty Hunters, although sometimes we do capture and kill people for the right price time to time. But if you're looking to improve your game, try the Nevarro system. That place is the heart of the bounty hunter guild", the man stated as he called out to his injured colleague that returned with a eye patch. "Hey Jarvis, you alright?", he asked sincerely as he ate another ration bar. The Trandoshan let out a painful groan as he walked back to the table, blood still oozing from where his eye had once been. "Yeah boss. Ain't nothing but a scratch. This kid has guts, I say we keep her", he said as he gave Mara a toothy grin. The man turned to the Twi'lek that sat next to him. She was busy smoking a death stick. "What do you think Cere? Think we have space for another girl in our team?". The Twi'lek looked up and down at Mara. She threw the death stick away as she leaned in closer to her. "Are you a good pilot?", the Twi'lek asked as she puffed smoke at Mara's face. "More or less", Mara coughed as the smoke past her, "But I did steal a T-65 X-wing". The Twi'lek raised an eyebrow, impressed that Mara had such skills and bravery. "Who did it belong to? Anyone could steal an X-wing these days. The owner has to be someone important, not a simple pilot, but a war hero", the man argued as he offered the Trandoshan a piece of his ration bar.

Mara gave a crooked smile, "Well this X-wing just happens to belongs to Luke Skywalker himself, the same X-wing that blew up the Death Star. And I have proof", she pulled out a holo-pad and showed the crew the title card. Jarvis spit out his ration bar in disbelief, "Unbelievable!", he hissed as he called a droid over, "BD-5 take a look at this! Make sure this is real". A small blue and white plated BD droid hopped on the table, he scanned Mara's holo-pad as he examined the title. He let out a whistle as it stated that the title, was infact genuine. "Not bad kid. Alright, looks like I was quick to judge you, we could use someone with your skills", the man admitted, "This job doesn't pay much, but if you're wise with your earnings, you'll be rich in no time. So how about it?", the man stated as he extended his hand towards Mara. "The name is Talon Karrde by the way", the man said as he shook Mara's hand. "Mara. Mara Jade", Mara replied with a smile planted on her face. A new life has began for the ex-assassin. "Welcome to the crew", Talon Karrde stated proudly.

* * *

**Malachor**

The _Night Buzzard_ landed gracefully onto the scorched ground of Malachor. The ancient sith world was void of life. Only pillars of ancient ruins from a time that has now been long forgotten stood tall. Ren stepped out of the _Night Buzzard_ , his new prosthetic hand covered in a black leathery glove, camouflaging with his black robes. "Let's move Knights", he commanded as he walked to the ruins of the ancient sith temple that was exposed. Ren and the Knights slowly entered the abandoned temple. A hooded figure stood tall as it rose from a throne in the center of the room. The temple had old sith banners hanging on them. A dull gray orb shimmered behind the hooded figure. It hovered a meter above the ground. "You have arrived", the deep voice said as it got close for the light to expose it's face. Snoke revealed himself to the Knights of Ren, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"We are here, for guidance", Ren said as he got to his knees. The Knights bowed before the mysterious alien humanoid. Snoke crackled a laugh as he picked up a sith holocron from the ancient ruins, "Rise my new apprentices. It is time to begin your training".

* * *

**Illum**

Gallius Rax stood aboard the bridge of the Ravager II. He held the controller in his hand that was once used to torture the imperial assassin Mara Jade. "Staring at the cold heart of space won't fix anything Rax", Rae Sloane stated as she walked up to her colleague. "I was foolish to trust her", Rax admitted, "When Captain Canady informed me that she failed to meet at the rendezvous point, I knew things went wrong". Rax crushed the remote. Electric sparks flying everywhere as he tossed the metal shards to the floor. "If we are to remain a secret from the New Republic, we must eliminate Mara Jade. She has information that will hurt us in the long run", Rax said as he wiped his hand.

"Where are we even to begin our search, she could be anywhere", Sloane said in disbelief. Rax snickered as he glared at Rae Sloane. "When she removed her inhibitor chip, it activated a beacon to her destination. Its not one-hundred percent accurate, but I was able to determine where it was coming from", Rax signaled one of the captains to activate the galaxy wide view of a star chart. A holographic map displayed itself in front of Rax and Sloane. A section of it was highlighted as it zoom closer to the area. "She's somewhere in the mid-rim, closer to the edge of the outer rim. Far from the New Republic's grasp", Rax stated as Sloane studied the map, "We can send some of our troops to hunt her down. Moff Gideon has ensured me that he'll send bounty hunters from the Nevarro system to help our search".

"There's only one problem Fleet Admiral", Rae Sloane spoke up as she took her eyes off the map. "This section of the Mid-rim is under Admiral Pryde's jurisdiction. He is the only remnant who didn't agree with our plan. If we send our troops to his side of space, it will mean war between us and them", Sloane warned. Rax smiled as he considered Sloane's warning. "We'll have a safe path. I have someone in his ranks whom I trust. He'll make sure things go according to plan". The map turned off and was immediately replaced with a holo-call. An image of a stormtrooper appeared in front of them. The trooper wasn't wearing the ordinary white armor all stormtroopers wore, instead he wore a mixture of chrome colored armor, a long black cape, and had glowing red visors instead of the dull standard black ones. "Captain Katarn", Rax acknowledged receiving a salute from the Captain. "The assassin Mara Jade must not make it out alive from the Mid-rim. If possible, capture her and bring her to me. If not, do not hesitate to kill her. Either way, I want her head. Understand?", Gallius Rax explained to the captain. Captain Katarn stood tall before answering, "Yes sir. I'll be back with her head in no time". With that the Captain ended his transmission. Gallius Rax and Rae Sloane stood quiet as their commanders left the room. "We will have our revenge Rae. Thrawn may be captured, but even then, the Empire will rise up from it's ashes".

* * *

**Ajan Kloss- Home of the New Jedi Order**

The _Jedi Praxeum_ flew down towards the planet of Ajan Kloss. The rebel base stationed there never saw the light of day. It was abandoned, and it had several acres of free land. It was a perfect candidate to be a host for a new Jedi Temple. Luke thought it was best to create a new one to symbolize the birth of a new order. Any other existing temples, such as the Massassi Temple on Yavin IV, were set up as bases in case anything happened to the one stationed on Ajan Kloss. The _Jedi Praxeum_ landed gracefully on the large platform that replaced the abandoned base. Luke was the first to step out. "Master Skywalker!", a young girl's voice shouted as a small child ran up to him.

"Jaina, it's good seeing you again", Luke shouted in glee as he embraced her in a hug. Ahsoka and Rex walked out of the _Jedi Praxeum._ Ahsoka had a look of confusion as to where she was. There was a large temple, it had almost a gold shining coat to it. The temple stood tall, at least 30 meters, and just the central dome alone. "Luke, what is this place?", she asked in amusement. The surrounding area was extremely beautiful. Small waterfalls heading to ponds, flowers sprouting in the fields. A large Uneti tree stood tall giving shade to it's surroundings. Luke turned around to face Ahsoka, he carried Jaina in his arms as she hung onto him. "Welcome, to Skywalker Academy", Luke said as he walked over to her. Jaina hid behind Luke as he set her down in front of Ahsoka. "Hey there, what's your name", Ahsoka spoke softly as she greeted the child on her knees. Jaina looked up at Luke, shying away from Ahsoka's hand. Luke placed his hand on Jaina's shoulder indicating that she should say hi. Jaina came out of Luke's shadow as her small hand reached towards Ahsoka's hand. "I'm Jaina. Jaina Jade", the little girl stated shyly. Ahsoka gave her a smile, "I'm Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano". Jaina immediately ran past her and towards Rex. "Rex, you're back!", she shouted in glee. "I am kiddo, and here to stay", the old clone said as Jaina jumped into his arms. "Don't worry, she'll get used to you", Luke told the confused Togruta. Ahsoka got back up and grabbed Luke by the arm. She dragged him to a corner of the _Jedi Praxeum,_ away from Rex and Jaina. "Luke. What is this place, who is she?", Ahsoka began asking but was immediately cut off when another voice joined them. "Master Skywalker", a middle aged man said as he ran to greet the Jedi, "I just got your transmission", the man stated before noticing Ahsoka. "Pardon me, where are my manners", the man scolded himself. He extended his hand towards Ahsoka, "Lor San Tekka. At your service", he introduced himself. Ahsoka shook his hand as she gave him her name, "Ahsoka Tano".

"I see the temple is finished", Luke said as he observed the newly constructed temple. "Indeed it is", San Tekka said as he gestured the two of them to follow. "Guess I should give you two the official tour", San Tekka stated as they walked towards the temple.

As they entered the temple, they were met with various children of different species running around. "Who are these kids", Ahsoka asked as the kids ran past them. "Force sensitive orphans", Luke explained, "Tekka and I found many of them after the war. Jaina was the first". They kept walking deeper into the temple. They past a huge library, filled with knowledge of the past. They past a large training area that displayed the hybrid insignia proudly on the walls. They walked through a calm and peaceful garden. Ahsoka couldn't believe her eyes. She thought the outside was beautiful on its own, but in here, it was paradise. "This is the hallway that contains the most powerful Jedi to have ever live", Tekka suddenly said when they were in a hallway filled with statues. Various statues of the ancient Jedi filled the room. Ahsoka could recognize a few faces, most recently of those from the holocrons that she and Luke had opened before they were all destroyed. The face of Meetra Surik, followed by Bastilla Shan. At the end of the first row was Jolee Bindo, and next to him was the prodigal knight, Revan. On the other side of the room stood a statue of Yoda, Plo Koon at the far left. And Jocasta Nu stood next to Caleb Dume. Obi-Wan Kenobi stood tall on his own statue, and at the very end stood Anakin Skywalker. "Where's your statue Luke? Hope it doesn't take an entire room", Ahsoka lightly joked as she playfully nudged him. "He'll get his once he becomes one with the force", Tekka intervened, "As will you".

Ahsoka stopped in her tracks when she heard this. "But I'm not officialy a Jedi. Everyone here was a Jedi. Not me", Ahsoka stated in shame. Lor San Tekka looked at Luke as if he said something wrong. "I didn't exactly tell her yet", Luke shyly whispered as he scratched the back of his neck, "Could we have a moment?". San Tekka nodded as he left the two alone. "Ahsoka come with me", Luke softly said as he walked towards the garden. Ahsoka hesitated but followed him never the less. They entered the garden, the peaceful paradise was slowly getting dark as the sun began to set. Ahsoka sat down next to Luke, he was staring off to the horizon watching the sun end its daily rotation. "What is all this?", Ahsoka immediately asked breaking the silence. "A second chance", Luke simply replied as he continued to stare at the sunset. "To become a Jedi?", she asked. Luke nodded as he flicked a pebble on the ground.

"Luke, you already have students, lots of padawans. Why did you lie to me?", Ahsoka asked sincerely thinking about the little girl who was playing with Rex in the distance. Luke was quiet for a moment, it's true. He told her, told everyone that he didn't have anyone to pass his knowledge to. He told his sister that Ben would've been his first true apprentice. But Jaina, the child he found on the forest moon of Endor his first padawan... was different. Luke felt he wasn't worthy enough to teach someone special like Jaina, or any other students. "I am not ready to be a Master", Luke confessed, "What type of master would I be if I still struggle with the pull of the darkside? I claim to be a Jedi, built all this, but I still feel lost. How can I be the Grandmaster the Jedi need when I don't believe in myself? I need guidance. I need to continue my training alone". Ahsoka stayed quiet for a second, this was starting to make sense. Luke was originally looking for the first Jedi Temple before he ran into her and Sabine. He wasn't looking for a place to settle the Order in, he was looking for guidance. And the force responded with a map, and with her. "I need someone to take over this place, so that I can continue my training to become the Grandmaster I'm supposed to be", Luke took out a small pouch, revealing it to Ahsoka. Ahsoka quickly stopped him, her hand covering the pouch. She knew what he was about to ask, but she didn't know if she was ready. "Luke, how do you know I'm the one? What if I mess everything up", she looked down in shame. She could see the face of pain and failure written all over Luke's face. "Trust in the force", Luke whispered to her, "Artoo and Rex will stay by your side. San Tekka, despite not being force sensitive, will help you in anyway possible", he tried convincing her. Ahsoka was about to speak when she heard voices calling out to her. She peered behind Luke, and noticed three ghostly silhouettes of her former masters. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin stood behind Luke, unaware of their presence. "Fulfill your destiny Ahsoka Tano", Obi-Wan said with a smile. "Alone, never will you be", Yoda added. ""We'll be with you till the end. I'll be with you to the end", Anakin declared before the three of them vanished.

Ahsoka gave a Luke a small smile as she removed her hand from the pouch. "So what do you say", Luke asked once he pulled out Ahsoka's old padawan braid. "Will you be a Jedi again?". There was a silence between the two, Luke had his hand out with the braid dangling in his palm. Ahsoka just looked at it, not saying a word. Before Luke could admit defeat, Ahsoka grabbed it. "I will", Ahsoka said gleefully as she held her padawan braid in her hand, "Though I'm not really a padawan anymore", she lightly joked as she placed the braid next to her. Luke smiled at her, overjoyed that she had just accepted his invitation. He was no longer the last Jedi, but the first in the next generation. "You're right. You're not a padawan", Luke got up to his feet as he pulled out his lightsaber. "Kneel", he commanded. Ahsoka got up, and did as she was told. She kneeled down in front of Luke as she closed her eyes. Luke activated his lightsaber, the green blade hummed to life as it's light reflected off of his skin. He brought down his lightsaber to Ahsoka's shoulder. "By the right of the last Jedi, by the will of the force. Ahsoka Tano. Rise, Jedi Knight", Luke declared as he knighted Ahsoka. Ahsoka opened her eyes as Luke deactivated his lightsaber. "Welcome to the new Jedi Order".

* * *

**1 Week later...**

Luke held his breath. He held the compass in one hand, it shined as it was installed to his X-wing's nava computer. The computer buffered for a moment before displaying the location: _Ahch-To_. "Are you sure you're ready for this?", the recently re-instated and promoted Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano asked as she carried Jaina in her arms. "I have to. It's the will of the force", Luke replied looking at Jaina. Around the young girl's neck was her mother's necklace. "How long will you be gone?", Jaina asked once Ahsoka let her down. "I don't know Jaina", Luke sadly stated as he ruffled her hair, "But I'll be back. I promise". He looked at Ahsoka and at Rex who joined them. "Take care of Artoo for me now, will you", Luke said as he glanced at his astromech droid one last time. "We will", Ahsoka said quietly giving him a small smile. Rex called Jaina over to get her with the rest of the students. Jaina waved a goodbye to her Master before joining Rex into the fields where the kids were playing on, leaving only Ahsoka, Luke and Artoo alone. "Well, this is it", Luke said as he gestured at the X-wing. He extended his hand towards the Togruta. "I guess this is goodbye. For now". But Ahsoka ignored Luke's hand and went straight into a hug, "Don't take too long little Skyguy. And thank you, for everything", Ahsoka commented as she released him from her grip. "No Ahsoka. Thank you", Luke replied as he gave Artoo a hug before boarding his X-Wing. Ahsoka watched as the young Jedi hopped into the fighter craft. "Luke!", she called out. Luke looked at her as he sat on the pilot seat. "May the force be with you", Ahsoka stated as Artoo joined her. Luke smiled as he saluted her a farewell. The X-Wing roared to life as it started to hover on the ground.

Ahsoka and R2-D2 backed away as the ship started to lift off. The X-wing gained altitude before it took off into the horizon. Ahsoka patted Artoo as they watched Luke's X-wing fly off into the sky, getting smaller and smaller by the second, it faded from view as it hid with the rising sun. Ahsoka smiled as she saw the sunrise. This was a new beginning, not only for her and the Jedi. But for the galaxy.


	30. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important - Must read

**Author's Note**

**Hey** **everyone, hope you all enjoyed this story. My series will continue! The next story will follow Mara Jade a year after this.**

**On another note, a few writers and I have decided to join forces and plan on rewritting the sequels. Here is our discord server if any of you fine people are interested : https/discord.gg/wcMczwN**

**You can also join our subreddit. r/projectsequelrewrite**

**All of you are welcomed, you don't even have to be a writer, just have a few ideas.** **Anyway that's it for now. So I'll see you very, very soon. Until the next time we meet again fellow readers, until we meet again. And remember,** _**May the Force be with you...** _

**Author's Note:**

> Part One of the New Jedi Order AU series. Also available on Fanfiction.net, and Wattpad under the same username and title.


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